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E D I T O R S P E A K S
Having a go
MY MATE, CHRIS AND my Period 6 Yamaha FZR1000 (Norton JPS lookalike) had (well, attended) our first race meeting of 2021 at the recent Old Bike Classic Challenge (read about it further on in this issue). Its usual rider, Alex Pickett wasn’t available due to work commitments so I spoke with Chris about who might ride it. I was one option, but there is this young guy, Jack Passfield we know who is one of the top ASBK Supersport riders. Shaun at D Moto Motorcycle Engineering has helped Jack out for the past couple of years and I thought it would be great experience for Jack to ride The Beast. He’d never ridden anything like the FZR before so we headed to Sydney Motorsport Park courtesy of MEGA Ride Days so Jack could acquaint himself with riding a different style of bike, with far more power than he’d ridden before.
I was impressed with Jack’s approach to riding the FZR – he didn’t just go out and flog the crap out of it and risk crashing it. No, he built up his speed, came in and asked for changes and the speed naturally flowed.
We found a base setup that we both think will work very well for him. As it was set up for larger riders the front springs were changed, as was the rear spring. We also changed some other
fine details to suit the way Jack likes his bikes set up. One funny thing that did come from Jack’s test was he started to get arm pump and blisters on his hands – I told him that’s what big bikes do when you’re riding them fast on the track. We both had a laugh and said he needed to do some push ups before the race meeting! I recently got back out on the track too. It had been almost eighteen months since my last whirl on a race track. I took the Kawasaki ZX-10R for a couple of sessions, again, courtesy of the great folk at MEGA Ride Days. MEGA hold ride days at both Sydney Motorsport Park and Phillip Island, check them out - smsprd.com and phillipislandridedays.com.au
Finally, my Kawasaki Z900 restoration is completed. I have been fine tuning the carbies as it looks as though the cutaways in the slides have been modified in the past (remember, this was a dirt drag bike in the past), resulting in the standard jetting not working correctly. Now I just have to get some great snaps by one of the ‘Nick’s – Nick Wood Creative or Half Light Photographic. As soon as that’s done, we’ll have a nice spread for you to read and view as a snapshot of the last two years it’s taken me to do this resto.
Enjoy!
Cheers, Stuart.
KINGPIN
CFMoto Australia is releasing the new 650NK SP Edition at an attractive $7,790 ride away. The bike is the new kingpin of the CFMOTO NK range providing riders with even more features including KYB suspension, Pirelli Angel ST tyres, new slipper clutch, enhanced 6 speed gearbox for optimised gear changes, large 5-inch TFT display, Bosch EFI (Euro 5), new rims and new aggressive NK styling.With sleek European styling thanks to Kiska Design (KTM’s designer), the 650NK SP is said to be just the first of many new and exciting CFMOTO motorcycles coming this year.The 650NK SP is available in two colour options, Athens Blue or White/Black. All new 650NK SP purchased before May 31st will be eligible to receive an extended 3 Year Warranty (normally a 2 Year Warranty). cfmoto.com.au
ZIPPY
BMW Motorrad will introduce updated iterations of its successful C 400 X and C 400 GT scooters to the Australian market in May this year. Both models benefit from a range of upgrades that elevate their road presence and style while providing new levels of rider engagement. Priced from $9,090 check them out at bmwmotorrad. com.au and we’ll be testing them once they arrive.
TEN YEARS OF DAPPER
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is calling on riders all over the world to celebrate its 10-year anniversary on Sunday, 23rd May, 2021.
2021 marks a historic year for this global motorcycling event. This is the first year it is running on the new date in May. Since 2012, the event has connected hundreds of thousands of classic and vintage style motorcyclists from over 100 countries around the world and to date has raised US$27.45M for men’s health. In 2021, the DGR looks to raise a further US$2.55M for charity beneficiary Movember, bringing its decade of fundraising to a grand total of US$30M.
The event for 2021 boasts some of the most amazing prizes yet, with four brand new motorcycles from major partner Triumph Motorcycles. One of these motorcycles will be a custom, 1-of-1 DGR x Triumph motorcycle, made only
for the winner of the 2021 Gentlefolk Competition. Adding to the Triumph prizes are custom top 50 fundraiser helmets courtesy of Hedon helmets with a very special design to commemorate the event’s 10th year anniversary. They have also offered up 10x hedonist helmets, which will be custom-painted by 10 well-renowned artists and auctioned off during the campaign. Returning in 2021 is Belstaff, taking the mantle of the event’s motorcycle outfitter partner, providing classic motorcycle outfits for top fundraiser and sprint prizes for event fundraisers, and ELF lubricants is the official lubricant partner of The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.
To register, fundraise, and support the wonderful work that DGR do, head over to www.gentlemansride.com and celebrate 10 years of riding dapper in the world’s most stylish motorcycle event!
N E W S
NO WARMERS
Fancy running slicks on your track bike but don’t want the expense of having to have tyre warmers and front and rear stands? Well, Metzeler is now offering the new TD (TrackDay) Slick. No need for warmers, fast warm up, consistent performance and able to handle many heat cycles the TD Slick is an exciting product to fulfill track junkies delights. Not only don’t you need all the fanfare that normally goes with running slicks but the price of the TD Slick keeps plenty of moolah in your wallet too! $179.95 for the 120/70/17 front and $219.95 - $229.95 for the 180-190200/55/17 rears. The TD Slick will also be available very shortly in a 180/60/17 rear profile. If you already have all the gear the TD Slick can be used with warmers as well. Stuart will be grabbing a set for a track test (no warmers) very shortly. Oh! And the rear TD Slick is reversible! So, if you run at one track with a certain type of corner you can maximise wear by turning it around –how good is that! See your local Metzeler dealer to grab a set!
ELECTRIC POM
The exciting Project Triumph TE-1 Prototype has completed Phase 2 of development. Project Triumph TE-1 is a ground-breaking collaboration between Triumph Motorcycles and the UK’s electrification experts, each of whom is focussed on creating innovations in their own areas. “The motor produces 130kW or almost 180 horsepower, but weighs only 10 kilograms, much lighter than existing technology and clearly a small fraction of the mass of traditional internal combustion engines.” said Andrew Cross, Chief Technical Officer at Integral Powertrain Ltd. The bike’s design is organised into four main phases: we look forward to the next phase completion. If the specs of the engine and the sketches of the bike are anything to go by, it should be quite something to ride.
DESTINATION YAMAHA 2021
Yamaha Motor Australia has announced a calendar of Destination Yamaha ride events for 2021. Their experienced operators are keen to offer Yamaha customers a wide range of unforgettable experiences. Destination Yamaha is the name given to travel events that have a specific Yamaha focus or interest. The aim is to offer customers fulfilling postpurchase experiences. Yamaha partners are selected because they are the best in the business and offer the most detailed
local knowledge combined with years of experience running successful tours. Destination Yamaha partners include South Australian Motorcycle Adventures (SA area); RideADV (East Coast) and South Coast Detour (NSW and VIC). To find out more about Destination Yamaha, including Yamaha’s self-guided tours, to view the ride calendar and to register your interest in Destination Yamaha events, check out: https://yma.news/ DestinationYamaha
SERVI-CAR HELP!
A great friend of the magazine wants to buy a Harley-Davidson Servi Car. Do you know of one for sale? Send us your details so our friend can get in touch! contactus@ausmotorcyclist. com.au
LAUNCH
WE HAVE SAID IT before and will most likely say a few more times in the foreseeable future: “learners have it so good these days”. I started (like most from our era) on a 100cc, then moved to a 125, leapt onto a 250 and finally, after my first year, graduated to a 350 and wasn’t that an eye opener. Next up a 500, and skipping a 750, I did the big leap to a 1000cc rocketship (or so it seemed). For me, after a steady rise in size and speed, nothing seemed insurmountable. Learning in small building blocks had a lot going for it, but it’s different today when you factor in modern suspension, accessible power, state-of-the-art brakes, tyres and electronics in the new norm.
It became a mild debate during the launch of the new Triumph Trident, for better or worse, whether a new rider could actually start and finish their career (in my case, 48 years riding and still going strong) with just one motorcycle. With this motorcycle as good as it is, we decided that it would be possible. Not entirely desirable perhaps, but possible.
That’s not what Triumph wants to hear, of course. They want the new Trident 660 to be a stepping stone
into the rest of their range. Triumph has designed and placed the triple in the market place to not only attract new riders but also older ‘returning’ motorcyclists. It is even intended to capture mature riders who want a well-built motorcycle that is light and easy to use, as they finally admit their likelihood of winning a championship
is slipping out of reach.
As it happens, the Trident is likely to fulfil all of those desires. Its learner legal 660cc triple pumps out just under 40kW of power and 59Nm of torque. Those figures better those of the immediate big LAMS opposition rather well. Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and particularly Yamaha (with its
LAUNCH
hugely successful MT-07L) slip below both claimed readings and you can feel that on the road from the moment you engage first gear and give the unique triple a whiff of throttle.
It was a smart move by Triumph Australia to conduct the launch in Melbourne, which has some excellent twisty mountainous roads on its doorstep, just right to challenge and utilise the Triumph’s scrumptious punch and predictable manners. Even the road-holding is better than I expected. A lot better! So are the brakes and all those neat finishing touches. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Our first day’s riding was a mix of first urban, then some great country roads and then topping off the ride
with 90 minutes of some of the best and most twisty roads you could find. All this within two hours of the city, including Mt Baw Baw.
In a nutshell, this is not only a class-challenging package but a really impressive LAMS bike in all respects. The power delivery is smooth and abundant. The triple lays down drive in the first four gears almost like a full powered 600/650 mainly due to its low weight and good torque. It feels very grunty in the low to mid-range and had I been a brand-new rider, I might even have found a little too responsive. Put the acceleration down to a redesign of intake and exhaust to match the internal changes made over the donor Street Triple.
YOU WANT SOME LAM ON THE PLATE
Two of the most direct choices to sway you away from the new Trident are the Kawasaki Z650L and the Yamaha MT-07LA. Both are excellent in the naked fun class of urban tearaways. Both are twin cylinder and both push out a little less power (38.3 and 37.8kW respectfully) out and can’t match the grunt of the Trident’s 50Nm @ 6500. The LAMS Ducati Monster and Honda 4 are under the above numbers as well. Pricing-wise they are close, in the green corner at $10,499 (plus on roads) and the blue at $11,849, although that is ride away. All-in-all they are separated by $1000 give or take. Believe me, the Trident does have that exclusive quality feel and look about it. The Ducati will cost you another $2000 to go red. There will be some real savings in the servicing costs with the long service intervals of the Triumph at 16,000 kilometres between visits vs 10,000 kays for the twins. I would be happy to recommend either one but I feel the Trident offers more of everything, whether it is tech, feel and ultramodern, new to the market, looks.
Given the target market as mentioned above it covers the bases in a remarkable fashion.
If you are a new rider and hanker for the Trident you may feel a tiny bit intimidated from my comments above. Don’t be, just try leaving the engine mode in ‘rain’ for a couple of weeks while you get used to the quick pickup in the gears. Switch to the normal ‘road’ mode and you will find enough power to keep 90% of riders happy for a long time. Besides, there will be music in your ears as the intake creates a raspy yet mellow wail and the muffler announces its presence if you are close by. In a good way. Young new riders do have it all!
In ‘road’ mode power comes on strong and builds solidly matching the increase in revs. The fueling is the standout feature for me, although as an experienced rider the pin-sharp steering and stability equaled the fueling, keeping me entertained. The power flattens off a little at 7000rpm and it can be a waste of time exploring the last 3000 revs to the redline unless you enjoy the noise or want to save a gearchange or two. Victoria being overpoliced Victoria, most of our speeding was in the corners and not on the transport sections of straight roads although on behalf of mature riders I found oneforty was comfortable and 5000rpm
in top was a pretty relaxed 105km/h. Triumph points out that the Trident offers the middle ground between the virtues of a twin (punchy down low) and the exciting top-end of a fourcylinder engine. I don’t think you even need to bother with the comparison. The 660’s is really a unique powerplant (until MV Agusta knocks up a LAMS copycat) offering smoothness and character, along with that soulful soundtrack that the triple is known for. Be happy with what you have Triumph, it’s brilliant!
We indulged in a few thousand corners, mainly the third and fourth gear type with the occasional second for tighter hairpins. With Showa suspension up front (non-adjustable) and at the rear (only preload adjustment) the ride is on the sporty side although the excellent seat does offer all-day comfort. The front, as I said, is pin-point accurate and a line can be adjusted at will. I hit a really bad humpy bump in a corner and copped a little of ‘this could get ugly’ flap from the alloy handlebar for a split second. I was expecting worse but got out lightly and was impressed with the stability. The shock is a little more basic but fits the target market and price point well enough. It’s difficult to pretend you are a learner one minute and then enter an excellent series of turns and not get carried away. If the road is
smooth and tight then be surprised by how capable the Trident is in the handling equation.
If you do get carried away the Nissin two-spots will do their bit -- no doubt. They look a little basic and old tech. Don’t be concerned by the lack of showiness, as they feel fantastic for light to medium braking and even if you tend to trail-brake into turns, the Nissins offer the right amount of retardation. Get it wrong and the ABS will be a suitable teacher for any indiscretions. I could only get the ABS to kick in if I was deliberately provoking the system. Hard braking and massive potholes started to expose the Trident’s limitations in spec’, say compared to a Street Triple 765 but then you are looking at an $8000 difference.
In a nutshell, this is not only a classchallenging package but a really impressive LAMS bike in all respects.
At its competitive pricing, you will not feel like there is much missing in the Trident. The round TFT dash is functional and looks great with its crystal-clear layout. The control joystick switch works well. The special Trident or Triumph touches abound with branding in key places. LED lighting and daytime running lights are fitted and while Triumph could have saved a few bucks they choose not to. Tap the fuel tank and it’s plastic, all 14 litres of it! We averaged
a 4.8L/100km most of the time. There is a mix of steel and alloy in the frame and swingarm.
The traction control can be switched off if you want to wheelie like a Moto2 star and while you are at it you can hook into Google maps and also control incoming phone calls through the dash. Something that was reserved for Dick Tracy during my first years on that Yammie DS7!
One benefit of the fresh design is the new five-spoked wheels which are
lighter than the Street Triple’s. The retweaked rear subframe also lowers the seat a little but importantly creates that distinctive look. Chuck in premium Michelin Road 5s and the Trident does stack up well. The gear shifting had a solid feel, although like most press bikes, and especially ‘launch’ bikes, these needed more miles on them to be their best.
Now, Triumph isn’t going to get out of gaol just yet with a faultless scorecard. Other than a small tankbag and a bag suitable for strapping to the rear seat, I can’t see a decent option for loading up and travelling to Phillip Island for a weekend of revelry! This is a one person, next to no gear motorcycle, if ever there was one.
Also, I was a bit bothered by the confused styling. Blame my age or my orientation (I like clean lines and retro more than funky) but the Trident is mixed in the palette department. The chunky rounded tank and graphics, nice and rich in British heritage, look a little out of place against the sharp and neo-aggressive look of the minimalist seat and hard-edge short exhaust system. Before you think ‘that can be made to go anyway’ there isn’t an aftermarket offering just yet.
Still, the looks grew on me after two solid days of riding although I will never did really get used to the way the seat unit disappears into the cosmos. Then again, no one will ever offer me a job designing motorcycles. After years of riding many, many learner bikes, what Triumph has managed to pull off is a functional and class-leading effort.
If you are after an easy to ride, punchy, great handling, stacked-full-of goodies machine which will be ideal for a learner as well as an experienced rider then you better check your wallet. It will be empty quicker than you can utter “is a triple better than a twin?” The Triumph Trident is that good. Even the price is competitive at $10,990 plus the usual statutory on road costs. As is the way these days you will find an array of accessories to satisfy any rampant spending needs you harbor. D
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 4.8 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 290km
COLOURS: Crystal White, Sapphire Black, Matt Jet Black with Matt Silver Ice, Silver Ice with Diablo Red
VERDICT: A prime cut at the Learner’s banquet
NEW ZEALAND IS ALMOST spooky. Its museums hold so many treasures from all over the world that it is quite eerie. What do I mean? Well, for instance, parts of Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, the world’s first computer, designed and built in England in the 1820s, were found under a shepherd’s hut in Southland in New Zealand and are now in New Zealand’s major museum Te Papa. Nobody seems to know how they got there. To Southland, not to Te Papa.
Let’s just look at some of the museums in the Land of the Long White Cloud and see what’s there –particularly in relation to motorcycles, but also aviation which fascinates me like no other technology. Should you not be interested, all I can say is that you’re missing out.
In the listings below, I have generally avoided noting opening hours because nobody knows how the plague is going to work out. The telephone numbers are listed, so you can call. The list is roughly north to south, with the jump from Te Ika a Maui (the North Island) to Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island) after Te Papa and before Omaka. With a bit of luck, you will be able to check out some of these places by the time this issue reaches the printer; I’m looking forward to seeing the couple of places I haven’t visited.
1.Burt Munro’s statue in Invercargill.
2.This New Zealand design from the Southward Museum could perhaps be a little more elegant.
TRAVEL
2 1
Packard Motor Museum
Old Dairy Factory, 1146 State Highway 14, Maungatapere, Whangarei p 09 434 8214 e info@packardmuseum.co.nz w https://www.packardmuseum.co.nz/ Adults $20, children $10 (5-15yrs), family $ 50 (2 adults plus children) Call for opening days / hours.
As well as one of the largest Packard collections anywhere, this place has a collection of heavy machinery, an ‘English Shed’ with a wide assortment of British cars (plus a Trekka, New Zealand’s own car, which is a must-see) and something like 65 classic and vintage motorcycles.
The museum had an interesting beginning. Graeme Craw, his wife Moira and Moira’s sister went to a stock auction near Te Puke. They purchased ten Angus heifers but at the end of the auction thirteen sheep came up for sale. Graeme, who couldn’t resist a bargain, bought the sheep. Except he had a problem: he couldn’t transport both the sheep and the cattle.
Graeme’s sister-in-law told him of a big, old car for sale. Perhaps he could buy that to cart the sheep? He bought what turned out to be a Packard Tourer, with a straight eight motor. He pulled out the back seat and carted the thirteen sheep to his farm at Anawhata. And he was so impressed with the Packard that he started to collect them.
Moral of the story? Ladies, don’t let your sister advise your husband on the subject of sheep transport or you’ll end up with a home paddock full of old bangers.
Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT)
Auckland
805 Great North Road, Western Springs / 200 Meola Road, Pt Chevalier. The sites are linked by a vintage tram ride.
p 0800 668 2869 p 09 815 5800, w https://www.motat.nz/
Adults $19, students and overseas seniors $10, family $45 (2 adults, up to 4 children)
Call for opening days / hours
In 1960 the Old Time Transport Preservation League, the Royal Aeronautical Society (New Zealand) and the Historic Auckland Society banded together with the aim of establishing MOTAT at Western Springs, a suitable site to house some of the sizeable transport heritage already collected by the League for preservation. The land was transferred to MOTAT in 1963 and the Museum opened to the public in 1964 on its current site, Te Wai Ōrea, which means ‘waters of the eel’ in Te Reo Māori.
The museum holds some 300,00 “items highlighting Kiwi innovation and ingenuity” according to the website, but there are a few things from overseas as well, especially in the outstanding aviation hall. Being Australian, I know I’m going to be accused of kiwibashing when I mention that I find the museum’s ‘Vision’ just a little… odd. It is, in part, “I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past”. Make of that what you wish.
Some of the displays are just plain weird as well, like the collection of Air New Zealand teaspoons, but there are many fascinating things like the scooter helmet worn by former Prime Minister Helen Clark. It looks as if she had a few offs, going by the scratches. You’ll find motorcycle treasures scattered throughout the museum, including a sweet little DKW scooter which I’d take home like a shot. There are a couple of Douglases, a 1912 Canterbury-made Pearse, and of course an NZ-made NZETA scooter.
Please note: If the video or photographs are going to be uploaded onto a website, blog or similar, then permission from MOTAT must be sought. If you are unsure whether you need permission, get in touch and someone will assist you.
1. No, this isn’t a display at MOTAD, it’s just a roadside attraction.
2.There are even more museums than I have been able to cover.
3.You can see why they call the Southward a CAR museum.
4. It holds a mixture between bike and tank, too – an NSU Kettenkrad.
5.The entrance to the Southward Museum, which is set in beautifully maintained grounds. No, I don’t know why they chose a horse and buggy.
6. Admiring the jumbled lineup of two- and three-wheelers upstairs at Southward.
Southward Car Museum
250 Otaihanga Road, Paraparaumu p 04 297-1221 w https://www.southwardcarmuseum.co.nz/ Adults $20, children (5-15) $5, family 2 adults/3 children or 1 adult/6 children) $45 Call for opening days / hours
Just to make it interesting, the Southward is in the North, not the South, Island. To be fair it is in the south of the North Island, but its name has nothing to do with being south of anywhere. It is named after its founder, Sir Len Southward, who had the vision to create what is surely one of the most comprehensive motor museums in the southern hemisphere. The complex also includes a theatre, which gets the thumbs up from our thespian mate Lester Morris. Lester put on many a show there.
The museum hall is upstairs and the restoration workshops are downstairs, but I think it might take a bit of serious begging to be allowed to see the latter. The displays include a charming selection of the small cars that were all that most New Zealanders could afford after the war, but there are also some wonderful, rare and inspiring cars in the well laid-out hall. They are admittedly bunched up together a little, but it is possible to get a reasonably good look at all of the vehicles from most sides.
Motorcycles are mainly banished to a crowded mezzanine, which is a real shame because, apart from the usual suspects there are absolutely unique bikes, some made or modified in New Zealand. Bikes are clearly an afterthought, but then the place is called a car museum so I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies. The place is well worth the admission, anyway.
TRAVEL
Museum of New Zealand / Te Papa Tongarewa
55 Cable Street, Wellington p 04 381 7000
w https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/ Entry is free
Te Papa Tongarewa is open every day except Christmas Day from 10am to 6pm
Commonly known as Te Papa, this amazing place on the Wellington waterfront is a store of everything Kiwi, including (and this is where it gets interesting for us) a Britten V1000. Yes, one of John Britten’s masterpieces is on display, so if you find yourself in the Windy City for whatever reason, you need to drop by to pay your respects. ‘Nuff said.
Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre
79 Aerodrome Rd, Omaka, Blenheim, Marlborough p 03 579 1305
e info@omaka.org.nz
w https://www.omaka.org.nz/
WW1 exhibition: Adults $25, children (5-14)
$12, family (2 adults 2 children) $65
WW2 exhibition: Adults $20, children (5-14) $10, family (2 adults 2 children) $55
Discount available if you want to see both. Call for opening days / hours
A visit many years ago to Knights of the Sky, the WW1 exhibition, gave me an insight into the depth of memorabilia you can find in New Zealand. My excellent guide was showing me through the displays, which will demonstrate to you why Sir Peter Jackson is as good a film director as he is – the attention to detail is fantastic – when we came to a glass cabinet which held a Blue Max, a Pour le Mèrite, perhaps the highest German award for bravery at the time. The card identified it as Ernst Udet’s. He was the second-highest scoring German fighter ace in WW1, after the Red Baron.
“Is that really Udet’s?” I asked. “The genuine thing?” My guide smiled. “No,” he said. “When Udet found out that he had been awarded the Blue Max, he had one made ahead of time to impress his girlfriend. This is that
one.” Almost better than the real thing.
“How is it that New Zealand ends up with all this stuff?” I asked. “Oh,” he said, “New Zealanders are great collectors…”
The WW2 exhibition
Dangerous Skies is not quite as riveting as Knights of the Sky in some ways, but it has some wonderful exhibits. One that fascinates me is the display about the Night Witches, the Russian 588th Night Bombers flown entirely by women pilots. The Stalingrad Experience is, if you’ll pardon the expression, chilling. My father flew into (and out of) Stalingrad several times and would never talk about the flights or what he saw.
Yes, there are a couple of motorcycles
on exhibit but the Omaka displays are about the entire war environment. Well worth going to see. In my opinion not just world standard but defining the world standard, and I’ve been to the Smithsonian and the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
Highlands National Motorsport Museum
Corner SH6 & Sandflat Road, Cromwell, Otago
1.Te Papa Tongarewa is one of two places (that I know of) in New Zealand where you can get a close look at a Britten 1000.
2. It isn’t a motorcycle, but I suspect you’ll be interested in the Spitfire as well.
3. Omaka is worth seeing at any time, and there are bikes as well as planes on display.
4. A Piatti scooter at Southwards. New Zealand imported many more different brands of two wheelers than Australia due to relaxed laws.
Mike Pero Motorcycle Gallery 1 Hawthornden Road, Avonhead, Christchurch p 03-423 9506 e info@motorcyclegallery.co.nz w motorcyclegallery.co.nz
Adults $15, children under 14 free Call for opening days / hours
Yes, it’s that Mike Pero. “I have an absolute passion for motorcycles,” he writes. “I bought my first bike at 14 years of age, I started a motorcycle mechanic apprenticeship when I was 17 and I won my first New Zealand Road Racing Championship (Up to 410cc Production Series) when I was also 17. I went on to win 5 other National Championships including the 500cc Racing Class, two years in a row. I still ride, and race bikes today. I’m a motorcycle mechanic by trade and am the Patron for Motorcycling New Zealand. We’re by no means the biggest collection of bikes but we do have an interesting line up of motorcycles and a place that you should find interesting.”
4
p 03 445 4052 e info@highlands.co.nz w https://highlands.co.nz/action-experiences/ highlands-museum/
Adults $30, children $10, family $60, seniors $20 Call for opening days / hours
I have never been at the Highlands National Motorsport Museum, so I can’t really tell you all that much but it seems to be a bit like the museum at the track in Bathurst in New South Wales. There do appear to be some motorcycles but they’re kind of overwhelmed by the cars. That’s a shame, seeing how many New Zealanders and New Zealand bikes have made impressions on the world’s race tracks over the years. But as I say, I haven’t been there, and the website is not very informative but give the place a go anyway! It certainly looks nice out there in the countryside, and I definitely intend to drop in next time I’m in the area.
Modest, like a true New Zealander. Mike’s collection includes more than 60 motorcycles, mainly from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s and including many definitive race bikes. The displays change from time to time, so even if you’ve been there before you will find it worthwhile to stop in again.
And not only that. Now combined with the gallery is a dinky-di Boeing 737 flight simulator. “Here’s a chance for you to fly a 737 with a real airline pilot,” says the ad, and how often do you get the chance to crash an airliner? Mind you, 737s seem to crash all by themselves even without your help.
National Transport and Toy Museum / Warbirds & Wheels
891 Wanaka - Luggate Highway, Wanaka (next to Wanaka Airport)
Phone: 03 443 8765, website: https:// nttmuseumwanaka.co.nz/ Adults $19, children under 18 $5, families $45, seniors $16.
Call for opening days / hours
A friend of mine (who, admittedly, managed a resort there) once said, “Wanaka should be called Funaka!” He’s right, too. Wanaka takes all the trouble in the world to compete with Big Brother Queenstown, just over one of the world’s best motorcycle roads, with attractions classy and cheesy. This museum is one of the classy ones.
“This fascinating museum houses one of the largest private collections in the world!” says the website. Well, okay, that’s a good way to start. “With over half a century of collecting and preserving pieces from the past, the museum houses over 600 vehicles. Including classic cars, motorcycles, fire appliances, military vehicles, buses, trucks, tractors, construction gear and boats” and “20 Civilian and Military aircraft from the 1930s to 1990s.”
It’s like some insane uncle’s giant garage. There are 60,000 toys with something to fascinate the child in everyone, such as clockwork and battery powered toys, dolls, teddy bears, pedal cars, remote control models, money boxes and thousands of scale models. That’s not to mention the interesting displays of aircraft, cars and motorcycles at Warbirds & Wheels.
And you’re not stuck just looking at stuff. The museum offers indoor and outdoor playing areas, adult sized pedal cars to ride (lemme at ‘em!) as well a picnic area. The museum shop has thousands of models and gifts. “Light refreshments are also available.” What could be better, apart from a collection of ‘20s pinups? Sorry, that’s just me. The fire station is cool, too. Anyway, Wanaka rocks.
1.That’s my borrowed Harley, not a display, at the National Army Museum.The tank is a display.
2. Just in case you’re considering invading Unzud, forget it.They’re ready for you!
3.The Wanaka museum holds this outfit which looks as if it could go around the world right now.
4. And here, at E Hayes, is one of Burt Munro’s original bikes. The real thing.
5. A Crouch Special at E Hayes Motorworks.You never know what you’ll find here.
National Army Museum (Te Mata Toa)
27 State Highway 1, Manawatu-Wanganui p 06 387 6911,w https://www.armymuseum.co.nz/visit/
There are different types of ticket. The basic one costs: Adults $15, children $5, seniors or students $10, family $35 Open every day except Christmas Day, 9am to 4.30pm.
I couldn’t help myself. Here’s the introduction to the museum café. “Welcome to The Mess Tent, our new military themed cafe and dining experience. Enjoy a coffee in the relaxing atmosphere of an army mess tent (!) whilst looking out to the majestic Mount Ruapehu.
“Try our signature “Bunker Buster” gourmet sausage roll and “Super Soldier Sausage” or bangers and mash army style as well as an extensive menu.” Who could resist the Bunker Buster and, come to think of it, the Super Soldier Sausage sounds exciting…
The museum, housed in a suitably grim concrete bunker-style building, is one of the better war museums I have seen. I like being reminded of the many actions in which New Zealand soldiers have fought alongside Australians, as well as all the work they have done alone. New Zealand has a proud military history, even though the Maori Wars might seem a bit… colonial. Well worth a stop if you’re riding the Desert Road.
Worth seeing is the memorial greenstone wall “Roimata Pounamu / Tears on Greenstone”, which commemorates New Zealand’s war dead from the three Armed Services and the Merchant Marine.
E Hayes Motorworks Collection
168 Dee Street Invercargill
p 03 218 2059 e admin@ehayes.co.nz w https://www.ehayes.co.nz/
Admission is free during normal shop hours (not surprising since it’s a hardware shop)
E Hayes and Sons, Invercargill is New Zealand’s largest independent Hammer Hardware and TradeZone Industrial store, but that’s not why it is in this list. It is also the home of Burt Munro’s authentic, original and legendary ‘World’s Fastest Indian’ motorcycle. Yes, it’s the real thing. Store owner Norman Hayes helped Burt to get the materials he needed to modify the bike. Norman bought two of his bikes and all his parts when Burt’s health deteriorated.
The entire store is home to the unique E Hayes Motorworks Collection representing what the website modestly calls “one of the finest private collections of FREE TO VIEW classic motorcycles, automobiles and engines in New Zealand”. It is easily that.
Continuing in the modest line, the
website says that “Every year hundreds of visitors from all around the world journey to E Hayes and Sons’ Invercargill store for one reason - to see a remarkable vintage motorcycle with their own eyes and stand in the presence of a legend.” It’s actually more like thousands of visitors. The 100 or so vehicles as well as working examples of early vintage machinery, pumps, engines and lathes make up a collection unlike any other.
Walking through the store is almost a surreal experience and it’s hilarious following some other devotees around – you get a constant barrage of “Oh!” and “hey, didn’t your dad have one of these” and “Look!”. It’s fantastic. They keep adding to the collection, too, which makes the place a must-see as often as you can.
Motorcycle Shipping
TRAVEL
Bill Richardson’s Transport World and Classic Motorcycle Mecca
25 & 491 Tay Street Invercargill p 0800 151 252 (ext 1), e info@transportworld.nz, w https://www.transportworld.co.nz/ Transport World – Adults $35, children $20, concessions $30. Family pass $85. Including Motorcycle Mecca – Adults $60, children $30, concessions $50. Family pass $150.
Well, if the World’s Fastest Indian and a museum in a hardware shop isn’t enough for one small regional New Zealand city, there’s this place as well. Claimed to be the largest private automotive museum of its type in the world, it holds immaculate examples of almost every Henry Ford letter car, 1930s V8s, a display of Volkswagen Kombis, more vintage trucks than you can probably imagine, and classic cars from marques like Citroen, Jaguar and Mini. “Bill Richardson Transport World is a petrolhead’s dream come true,” they say and they aren’t wrong. But this is a motorcycle magazine, so you are probably going to be more
1.Yes, it’s a truck. But doesn’t it look great at Richardson’s?
2.This Morikwaki at Motorcycle Mecca looks ready to go.
3.What motorcycle museum would be complete without a couple of Vincents?
4. A unique Britten two-cylinder prototype on display at Motorcycle Mecca.
interested in “the largest and most diverse display of classic motorcycles in New Zealand,” which joined Transport World in 2016. It holds more than 300 motorcycles from as far back as 1902.
From some of John Britten’s productions to Brough Superior, Classic Motorcycle Mecca has it alland the museum allows guests to get up-close-and-personal with the bikes they love best. There are no stuffy display cases here: just 360-degree views of some of the finest classic British, European and American motorcycles as well as Japanese, speedway and motocross machines. Housed in two restored heritage buildings, this classic motorbike collection is yet another reason to make your way down to the deep south of Unzud.
Oh, and there is an outstanding motorcycle
art collection. So that’s it for New Zealand motorcycle-related museums for the time being. I suspect more will pop up before long, and knowing the Kiwis they will contain more amazing displays. D
PRO ROAD PACK
PRO REAR BAG
PRO RACK PACK
PRO CARGO BAG
IT’S GETTING COLD
Stay toasty
WINTER IS FAST APPROACHING and that means having the appropriate gear when it starts to get cold. Staying warm is paramount and there is plenty of great items on the market for you to look good, stay warm and be safe. Here’s what the distributors want you to know about…SW
INNOTESCO innotesco.com.au
Rukka Wiima Gore Infinium fleece jacket – $235
The Rukka Wiima fleece combines the best of both worlds; Outlast Temperature Regulation and Gore-tex Infinium wind protection. Outlast Temperature Regulation stores and releases body heat. It works to keep the wearer’s temperature not too hot... not too cold... but just right, over a broad range of environments and activity levels. 100% windproof and breathable Gore-tex Infinium material ensures optimal protection against wind while retaining breathability. Infinium products can be worn either directly on the skin or above the functional layer to form an additional warming layer. Gore-tex Infinium panels are strategically placed on the chest, shoulders, collar back and on top of the sleeves. The Rukka Wiima is incredibly fine and thin, you barely know you’re wearing it. The material it’s made from is windproof so, whatever you wear it beneath, it will reduce the effects of wind chill. Sizes: XXS – 3XL
Daytona TransTourMan GTX adventure boots – $768
Travel adventure boots with cross genes and 7 highlights. ADV Touring boots never looked so good and never felt so comfortable. The Daytona TransTourMan GTX Boots minimize the use of synthetic materials on the exterior. Instead, Daytona uses hydrophobic cowhide backed by breathable Gore-Tex waterproofing for a combination ready to take on whatever weather you experience on the road or trails. A clever Velcro and zipper design allows you to fine tune the fit around your ankle and calf. A single adjustable buckle helps secure the boots to your feet. Ankle and shin protection are hidden under the handsome leather exterior with a replaceable midsole so you can stand on your pegs without fear of wearing through your sole. The Daytona TransTourMan GTX Boots will keep your feet dry and protected so you can focus on the adventure. The quality is apparent the moment you put them on. I can finally ride all day, comfortably walk for miles and not think about boots or your feet. Sizes: 38 – 49
Rukka Rimo-R jacket and pants / Rimorina jacket and pants for women –
$935 (jkt), $750 (pnt)
Rukka Shield-R jacket and pants – $2030 (jkt), $1405 (pnt)
Rukka Rimo-R is an ultimate adventure suit designed to keep you dry and cool on the trail. It’s coming with a massive number of vents spaced throughout for warm weather riding, which is then subtly balanced by the fully breathable, windproof, and waterproof GoreTex laminate. For a light weight and strength, the Rukka Rimo-R outer shell has Gore-Tex 2-layer laminated to the shell fabric, which will make sure it stays waterproof and you also have 500D Cordura reinforcements on the shoulders and elbows for added strength and abrasion resistance. For your safety the suit comes with plenty of reflectors along the back, arms, and chest to make you more visible. Rimo-R suit has pockets for shoulder, elbow, back, hip and knee protectors and there are even pockets for a divided chest protector to give you full coverage. Or you can you can wear an armoured protector shirt like Rukka RPS AFT underneath your Rimo-R jacket - your choice. There is huge amount of ventilation for airflow, chest, on either side, all along the sleeves with zip in the bicep and another in the forearm, and air outlets on either side of the back. Each one is fastened with water-resistant zippers, which is also a great touch to make sure that the Rimo-R will keep you dry. Rukka has same style and construction for ladies, but of course with more feminine cut. Women’s suit is called Rimorina. Sizes: Men 46 – 66 (XS – 6XL), Women 34 – 50 (XS – 5XL)
Rukka Thermog+ winter gloves – $250
The Rukka Shield-R Jacket is a top of the range touring suit featuring the best materials and quality construction currently on the market. The Shield-R is a 4-season option for spring, summer, fall, and winter riding thanks to a Gore-Tex construction and thermal liner. The Shield-R comes with GoreTex Pro 3-layer shell. This Gore-Tex Pro laminate product is 100% breathable, wind proof, and waterproof, and the 3-layer construction means that the waterproof membrane is protected from internal abrasion.You get even more safety in the abrasion zones with Armacor and Keprotec shoulder and elbow reinforcements. Armacor is a Kevlar-Cordura weave built to give you ultimate heat and abrasion resistance. Keprotec coming from the textile manufacturer Schoeller giving extreme abrasion and tear resistance by using aramide yarns. Rukka haven’t held back in the impact protector department either, Shield-R comes with a full D3O armour set, shoulder, elbow, full back, chest armour in the jacket and hip and knee armour in the pants. Simply, it is claimed there is no equal to Shield-R in the market. Sizes: 46 – 66 (XS – 6XL)
The Rukka ThermoG+ are a short glove built to keep your hands safe from the weather and the road. Rukka have gone all out on this glove making sure you’re getting those high-quality third-party materials with Gore-Tex laminates, 3M thinsulate, and more to make sure you keep warm and dry. The outer shell of the ThermoG+ is composed of an abrasion resistant material with additional leather at the palm for abrasion resistance and durability. To make the gloves more comfortable for touring riders, they also include a visor wiper in the index finger as well as touchscreen fingertips in both the index finger and thumb, so you don’t have to take your gloves off to adjust your GPS. Since the ThermoG+ are designed for touring, this means that they will be exceptionally comfortable. Putting them on, you have a stretch rib knit in the wrist and an adjustable strap in the wrist for comfort and fitment. Sizes: 6 – 14
Equator Men’s & Ladies Jacket – $499.95
The Jacket of choice for many dedicated riders. The Equator jacket features air vent panels and both a separately removable thermo liner and Raintex waterproof and breathable lining to easily adapt to any circumstance. Lining: 3 Layer system with removable Raintex waterproof and breathable membrane, plus a zip out thermo liner, safety: reflection on chest and back, Night Eye reflection, Safe Tech CE armour protection at shoulder and elbow, CE back protector prepared,Vision Vest prepared, comfort: air panels in chest, air inlet in arms and outlet on back, coat hanger, arm adjustment straps, Easy Cuff light and short pant connection zipper.
District Jacket – $249.95
Casual comfort with the full suite of protection. Zip the hoodie off when not required or clip it back so it doesn’t flap around. Built to meet or exceed European CE Safety Standard EN17092.
Materials: Cotton polyester mix jersey, lining: polyester mesh, safety: shoulder RISC CE level 1, Elbow RISC CE level 1, RISC CE back protector prepared, belt loop, reflective details chest / elbow, Aramid
Ion Men’s Electric Heated Winter Gloves. Fully armoured, full length, totally waterproof with the ability to control the level of warmth for your hands. You will never ride another winter without a pair. Materials: Goat leather and soft flex Cordura, lining: Raintex waterproof breathable membrane and Bemberg comfort liner, safety: manufactured to meet or exceed the new CE Safety Standard EN 13594:2015. RISC knuckle protection, padded palm, comfort: electric heated with 4 temperature levels, 30-degree buckle, double Velcro wrist closure, ergo thumb, touch tip, screen cleaner.
&
• 3-layer gore-tex pro shell
• Guaranteed to keep you dry®
• Stretch gore-tex fabric under arms for mobility
• Perforated goat leather overlays on shoulders/ elbows/knees
• D30® CE LP2 Pro Armour elbows, shoulders, knees & hips
Drop into one of our stores or call us for advice for winter adventure riding gear.
Winter gear SPECIAL FEATURE
KAWASAKI
kawasaki.com.au or your local dealer
RPM Hoodie – $69
Looking warm in the soft cotton black hoodie, tuck your hands in to the Kangaroo pocket for added comfort on cooler days and nights. Kawasaki logo and unique graphic add a touch style. Adult sizes from XS-5XL. Exclusive to Kawasaki Australia.
KRT WorldSBK Jacket – $220
Whether you’re supporting trackside or simply living a fast-paced lifestyle, do it in impeccable style with the KRT WorldSBK jacket. A fulllength zipper,Velcro cuffs and zipper pockets cater to convenience, while bold KRT, Ninja and ZX-10RR logos and official sponsor patches. Super warm puffer style. S–4XL
Chicane T-Shirt – $45 (Adults), $35 (Kids)
Want to add another layer to your winter clothing wardrobe, grab the Chicane t-shirt. Long sleeve cotton with graphics that match the RPM hoodie. Available in both adult and kids’ sizes there is winter warm for the whole family. Australian sizes. Exclusive to Kawasaki Australia. Adult sizes XS-5XL, Kids sizes from: 04-14.
SELECT EDGE MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES
selectedge.com.au or 03 9467 7622
Corbin Canyon Dual Sport saddles
Honda ST1300 – from $1899
This saddle offers ultra-levels of comfort for those chilly mornings with its internal heating feature. For more information check them out at corbin.com/honda/st1300.shtml
BMW R18 – from $2199
Available with optional heating and backrests to keep you warm and secure on those wintery days. Check them out at corbin.com/bmw/bmwr18dte.shtml.
Kawasaki GTR1400 – from $1849
Shown here with optional heating giving you extra hours of comfort over the winter riding season, also shown with optional backrests. Check them out at corbin.com/kawasaki/kc8cdse.shtml.
Looking to add a heated seat to your motorcycle? Contact Select Edge to find out what options are available. selectedge. com.au, sales@selectedge.com.au, 03 9467 7622.
dririder.com.au
Strada Boots – $229.95
The Strada boot is a Sport/Touring boot made from leather with suede highlights to complete the style. Fitted with a waterproof breathable membrane, shin & ankle protection with anti-twist nylon mid sole. Large flex zones front and rear for greater dexterity and comfort. Sizes 39-48.
Nordic 2 pants – $259.95
Made from 600D polyester Cordura, nylon DobbyMatt and premium cowhide leather, featuring CE armour with EVA padding on hips, waterproof membrane, mesh comfort liner and removable thermal liner, stretch panels in waist crotch and knees for comfort, dual waist adjustment, 2 thigh vents, reflective to increase night time visibility and connection zip for jacket. Sizes S-6XL.
Outer shell made from 600D polyester, reinforced with 1000D on shoulders and elbows, featuring Reissa waterproof and breathable membrane (8000mm/7000mm), removable thermal liner, mesh comfort liner, CE armour with hi-density foam back pad, soft collar with Neoprene edge, arm and waist adjusters for a tailored fit, 5 outer and 2 inner pockets, reflective to increase night time visibility, connection zip for pants. Available in four adult colours and two youth colours.
Alpine Gloves –$99.95
Premium cowhide leather construction, featuring 100% waterproof and breathable Hipora liner, thermal insulated lining, polyurethane molded PU knuckle protection, 3M reflective piping for night time visibility, waterproof gaitor with drawstring closure, pre curved fingers for comfortable fit and an all-important visor wipe. Sizes S-3XL.
PUNCTURE REPAIR KIT
Available from Rocky Creek Designs or all good motorcycle stores through Pro-Accessories
Everything you will need to get you out of trouble if you get a puncture.
This kit contains our award winning MotoPressor Puncture Repair Tool, 5 pre-glued vulcanized repair strings, an inflation tool and 3 x 16g CO2 canisters and a neoprene bag. The bag with its contents, will take up a small amount of room in your pannier or pocket. The size of the bag containing the kit is only 13.5cm wide x 10.5cm high x 4cm depth and weighs just 582g.
Barton II Waxed Jacket – $469.95
A shorter style modern-retro waxed cotton jacket, made from genuine Scottish Halley Stevensons 12oz Silkwax fabric, featuring Reissa active waterproof and breathable lining, removable 150g quilted thermal lining, zip open ventilation panels front and rear, D30 CE Level 1 shoulder and elbow armour, rear armour pocket to fit CE back protector, multi adjustable cuff, biceps, collar and hem, premium YKK zippers used throughout, manufactured to meet or exceed the new CE safety standard. Colours: Black & Olive.
Axe Overshirt – $229.95
Making a bold, custom rider statement is the new checkered Overshirt style jackets from British company Merlin. Designed to look and feel just like a heavy-duty cotton shirt but fully lined with Dupont Kevlar and fitted with CE Armour in the shoulders and elbows and a foam back pad essential for safe motorcycle riding. Dupont Kevlar offers superior abrasion resistance and is featured as a lining through the whole garment, sandwiched between the heavy-duty cotton outside and the black mesh inside, this Dupont Kevlar is a completely discreet and an active form of protective Armour. The foam back pad can be upgraded to a CE back protector if required. Be seen and look on trend in this range of check coloured Riding Overshirt style jackets from Merlin. Available now in Red, Blue, Grey or Dark Blue.
Ranton Gloves – $119.95
Classic Heritage styling with all the latest safety and manufacturing benefits. Constructed from premium Scottish Waxed Cotton and leather with knuckle and finger protection and a breathable/ waterproof liner. These Merlin gloves provide that authentic retro look with maximum comfort and without comprising protection. Available in Black or Brown D
Our very own talented, Peter “The Bear” Thoeming has penned some very funny cartoons for you all to roll around on the floor and have a laugh. Enjoy…
BARREL LAUGHS of
Drink your way around the Northern Rivers
OCCASIONALLY SOMEONE TELLS ME
that I have the best job in the world, riding motorcycles around and visiting all sorts of great places (I wish, at the moment, but it will happen again!) Well, Meet Jarryd who has at least as good a job as I do.
He will pick you up in his Behind the Barrel Brewery & Distillery Tours minibus from wherever you’re staying in the Ballina/Alstonville/Byron Bay area and show you around for a half or full day. But he won’t show you just anything; he’ll take you to the local craft breweries and distilleries. And not just that. He will also shout the drinks and a terrific beer-themed lunch. It’s all included in the tour cost.
“We will take you to various breweries and distilleries,” he says. “Guided tastings are included at each venue. Skip the queues and have all drinks brought to you. No lining up! The tour includes 4-5 beers and spirits at each venue. 15-20 drinks altogether. Breweries and distilleries we visit may include Stone and Wood brewery, Cape Byron distillery, Lord Byron distillery, Husk distillery, Wandana Brewing and Seven Mile brewery.”
Jarryd is not only affable and unshakeable – on my tour he had to hunt out some of the participants who seemed to have missed the meeting
place – but pleasantly knowledgeable without ever being pedantic. Even I, as a past editor of the Australasian Beer Guide, found that I learned things from his presentations.
We ended up visiting the original Stone & Wood Brewery, in Byron Bay’s Arts & Industry Estate (they now have a much larger one in Mullumbimby), Lord Byron Distillery nearby and Wandana Brewery at Mullumbimby. The Wandana brewers have the intriguing idea that their small batch brews are improved by music, so they play appropriate recordings to the brew as it ferments, through speakers mounted on the stainless-steel tanks. Interesting thought? Yes… sure. Their beer was pretty good, anyway.
BEHIND THE BARREL BREWERY & DISTILLERY TOURS
1/52 Gibbon Street Lennox Head 2478, 0405 328 829, behindthebarrel.com.au
$169 Full Barrel Trip, app 6 hours. $139 Arvo (half day) Session, app 3-4 hours.
We also had a Japanese-style beerthemed lunch at Yulli’s Restaurant in Byron Bay. Yulli, the owner, not only offers meals targeted at specific brews but has his own beer produced and canned. Terrific idea, and a great diversion if you ever find yourself weary of Byron Bay’s other attractions. The distillery was interesting as well, and I had my first ever Pina Colada. I am not usually a cocktail person with the exception of an occasional whiskey
sour or martini, and I think I’ll stick to that in future too. The drink, served in a hollowed-out pineapple, was quite tasty but rather sweet for me.
But the real highlight of the tour for me was Stone & Wood. I like their Pacific Ale, although I am not a huge fan, but I was seriously impressed by the amount of experimental and seasonal brewing they do at the smaller brewery. According to Jarryd, they even brew a batch every year by the method immortalized in their name, using hot stones and wooden brewing vessels like the monks of old. Sadly, they had run out of that.
Some of their brews are amazing, and I would recommend a visit to their premises to anyone even vaguely interested in beer. And who isn’t? Well, if you’re with someone who isn’t, they can sample Stone & Wood’s alcoholic sodas. A word of warning: the local Highway Patrol know where the breweries and distilleries are, too. D
1 The chef prepares the evening barbie outside the Wandana brewery. Hey, can we move to the Northern Rivers? Not for the beer, for the barbecues. I swear.
2 Jarryd has the tasting paddles filled at Stone & Wood. Quantities are generous, but as he says: “You don’t have to drink it all.” I’m sorry? What was that again?
3 Wandana’s tasting paddle.The numbers are a guide to the printed descriptions of the beers, so you can be sure you don’t miss out on any fine details of the particular brew.
4 Like most breweries these days, the Wandana Brewery at
Mullumbimby is housed in an industrial unit in an industrial estate.That means they can have night-time entertainment without annoying any neighbors. Clever.
5 That’s my Pina Colada, as served in a frozen, cored pineapple. And it has an umbrella in it! The very epitome of luxury for many people, but a trifle sweet for me.
6 An empty can of one of Yulli’s brews, re-purposed as a candleholder.That’s not a bad idea in itself. I can think of several people who would love a set of these for Christmas. Full, of course.
ARMIDALE ROAD
ARMIDALE
One of Australia’s oldest and most important inland cities, Armidale is known as the Cathedral City and has an interesting and historical streetscape which has been preserved carefully. Much of the city’s business revolves around education, involving the University of New England and several prestigious schools. Sitting as it does a kilometre above sea level, Armidale has a proper four seasons with occasional snow in winter. Cool climate wines and the craft brews of the Welders Dog brewery round out the attractions.
WOLLOMOMBI
There might be little or nothing of Wollomombi itself, but there is a walking track to Australia’s secondhighest waterfall in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Wollomombi Falls is worth the slight detour.
EBOR
This little settlement on the banks of the Ebor River, with Ebor Falls nearby, has a pub, a service station and
tearooms. Be warned: one of our readers has noted that ‘tearooms’ is entirely correct, as “they couldn’t make a good cup of coffee if their lives depended on it”. The pub is pretty much the standard modern Australian country variety, without much character but with lots of goodwill. The rooms are laid out
ARMIDALE ROAD
ORANGE ROUTE
The Waterfall Way / Armidale Road is the most direct route from Armidale to Grafton, and is sealed all the way. The road surface could be better in places, mainly because it has been squeezed into ridges and dissolved into potholes by log trucks, but it is perfectly manageable if you take a little care. Scenery is outstanding; this is one of the most beautiful rides in New South Wales with sparse highland paddocks, temperate rainforest and then the river flats of the Nymboida, Orara and Clarence rivers.
GREEN ROUTE
If you have ridden that road often enough, you might like to head north along the New England Highway to Guyra and then turn east to Ebor by way of the just about invisible Wongwibinda. Cool name, though. This route is also sealed, is a little longer but won’t take much more of your time.
along a corridor vaguely like a motel’s, but access is from the bar. Motorcycle parking is available in the woodshed and while there is no lockable door, the barmaid looked genuinely puzzled when I last asked about the possibility of theft.
“Here?” she said. “I… don’t think so…”
TYRINGHAM
Some hundred people call Tyringham home, but you’d be hard pressed to find more than ten per cent of that number. While there is a small general store which doubles as a bottle shop and also sells fuel, it is not allowed to sell hot food or drinks, according to the one per cent of the population which greeted me.
Across from the shop is a neat little picnic hut next to the telephone box. This is equipped with a kitchen chair – leading me to assume that there is no mobile coverage here. Apparently that is true, but you do get a data connection from a small Telstra cell.
NYMBOIDA
Russell Crowe’s now-closed museum is the largest building in Nymboida, but the township does have a school.
COUTTS CROSSING
Not far from Grafton, Coutts Crossing
is a dormitory suburb for that city and offers pretty much all services.
GRAFTON
A prosperous city, now quite a long way off the new freeway, Grafton is known as the Jacaranda City has everything you’re ever likely to need.
It was supposedly Dorothy Parker who noted of Los Angeles that when you got there, there was “no there there.” You don’t need to cross the Pacific to find that mystifying occurrence. Just ride either of the roads suggested by this month’s tear-out map.
While the settlements at either end of our road are definitely ‘there’, most of the ones along the way have gone missing or have never been there in the first place. Wollomombi, Hernani, Dundurrabin, Billys Creek and, on the other road Wongwibinda are really only names on the map. As well, Tyringham and Nymboida are pretty much just settlements by courtesy. The only places that give the impression of being genuine little townships are Ebor and Coutts Crossing.
Not that that reduces the enjoyment of riding the road; it’s the opposite if anything. D
KAWASAKI ZX-10R
One word…FAST!
WORDS STUART ︱ PHOTOS SD PICS / STUART
I’VE RIDDEN EVERY
KAWASAKI ZX-10R since the early 2000s and I’ve liked the progression, especially since 2012 or so, that the bike has made. The early models were a bit of a handful, but Kawasaki has worked hard to make the ZX-10R easier to ride and damn fast. However, the word, “fast” is simply no longer adequate with the 2021 model. I took it to Sydney Motorsport Park, courtesy of Sydney Motorsport Park Ride Days, to give it a whirl. On road tyres, no warmers and no suspension setup, I was carving people up left, right and
centre and with the lack of drive off corners from the slippery road tyres I was still passing other modern litre bikes down the straight – what fun!
The six World Superbike titles the bike has earned courtesy of Jonathon Rea can only help the production version of the new ZX-10R to become better and better – the WSBK team would want certain things built into the production version to help make their race bike faster.
A host of changes have been made to engine and chassis – including a higher rev limit and new lightweight pistons. New styling with the ‘wing-
like’ frontal area of the fairing for improved aerodynamics and new features like Electronic Cruise Control and a TFT instrument panel with smartphone connectivity enhance street-riding enjoyment. Handling is one area where you can make up mega amounts of time. You can have all the power in the world and if it isn’t available into, around and out of corners fast, then your competitiveness will be gone. The previous ZX-10R already handled awesomely, but some small, yet significant changes have made the 2021 model handle even better again.
The swingarm pivot is 1 mm lower, which enables better rear suspension action during corner exits. A longer wheelbase (1440 mm - 1450mm) care of a 2mm greater fork offset and an 8mm longer swingarm offers even greater overall stability. The revised fork offset results in a shorter trail, which facilitates changing direction, especially in the off-throttle phase of the corner (after tip-in, before apex). The new geometry moves the frontrear balance slightly forward (0.2%), contributing to improved handling and turning performance. A wider fork clamping area for the lower tripleclamp and revised rigidity balance for the fork outer tubes help as well.
More track-focused suspension settings include a lower front spring rate (21.5 N/mm - 21.0 N/ mm), complemented by firmer compression damping and softer rebound damping. The settings make it easier to weight the front wheel, and contribute to lighter handling – faster turn in. I did add one turn of compression on the front which helped under extreme braking into turn 2 and turn 9 at SMSP, but I didn’t want to change too much as the front feels excellent as it is. You might also wonder what the anodised red tube on the back of the fork is for? It’s an External Compression Chamber containing pressurised nitrogen gas which helps to manage the pressure increases in the Damping Force Chamber, enabling very stable pressure increases, which ensures consistent damping force generation –all designed for super-fast riding. And, with the rear, more trackfocused settings include a stiffer spring rate (91 N/mm - 95 N/mm), complemented by softer compression damping, and softer rebound damping. The revised settings are claimed to make it easier to induce a pitching motion even when on the throttle while maintaining the rear ride height. Rear grip suffered with me – a combination of the rear spring being too light and riding on the track at my
pace with a road tyre. I did wind in some more compression, which helped slightly. For the majority of riders, the standard spring weight will be fine and you can fine tune the settings from there. I would suggest any serious track day punters opt for a more suitable set of tyres.
On the road, for which the standard settings are more set up, I found the ZX-10R to be -- just awesome. Again, turn in is light, heaps of feel and the rear was soft enough to handle rough bitumen. All I’d suggest for the road is bumping up rear preload and compression slightly and that’s all, leave the front as is. To aid the light turn in, the front and rear wheels are
some of the lightest on a production bike.
The Ninja ZX-10R engine balances big power with manageability. Peak torque is positioned high up in the rpm range, making it easier to get back on the gas, while a strong lowmid range further helps acceleration coming out of corners. Finger follower valve actuation and other features based on feedback from Kawasaki’s WSBK factory team contribute to a peak power of 149.3kW (156.8kW with ram-air), which can easily be increased care of a full race exhaust. Updates for 2021 offer increased cooling performance and emissions that meet Euro5 requirements while
maintaining the engine’s performance and easy-to-use character. There’s also a new oil cooler. Rather than routing coolant from the radiator to the oil cooler and back to the engine, the new oil cooler is air-cooled and has an independent circuit. Oil is routed from the left lower crankcase to the oil cooler, then returned on the right side. The increased cooling performance contributes to engine performance at all rpm.
Riding the ZX-10R, the engine feels like a 600 to 6000rpm. It needs to be revved before it gets up and boogies. For track and road riding I would
want to drop one tooth off the front sprocket for better control out of slower corners.
In the specs column you’ll notice the road fuel consumption of 7.92L/100km, bear in mind that on the track this increased to something like 21L/100km, so remember to take fuel if doing track days!
Ergonomics feel quite roomy for a ‘race bike with a headlight’. The handlebars have been moved forward 10mm which contributes to more room, but also aid in lighter turn in with a bit more leverage. I could tuck in easily thanks to the 40mm higher
screen and the seat to peg height, where the 5mm higher for this new model was still reasonably comfortable. I would have liked the accessory tank grip pads as I struggled to grip the tank and seat. On the track I tried my best ‘Mick Doohan’ riding style so I wouldn’t keep slipping. LOL!
The all-new, compact 4.3” alldigital TFT colour instrumentation gives the cockpit a high-tech, highgrade appearance. It can be switched between two modes - Type 1: designed for ordinary use and easy-toread on the road, displaying digital speedometer, digital bar-style
tachometer, gear position indicator, throttle application, odometer, dual trip meters, current and average fuel consumption, volume of fuel consumed, low fuel indicator, average speed, total time, coolant temperature, intake air temperature, clock, battery voltage, Kawasaki service reminder, oil change reminder, call/mail indicators, and Economical Riding Indicator. Type 2 is designed with circuit riding in mind, important information like tachometer, current and best lap times, and gear position is prioritised and presented graphically for easy digestion. You can also switch the
colour of the screen from white to black. An external race-style shift lamp placed above the instrument panel provides you with a highly visible bright white light which was great to use on the track. I never really noticed it on the road – maybe I wasn’t revving it hard enough!
You can also connect your smartphone to this ZX-10R, with all sorts of fun to be had changing settings and/or reviewing information from your ride.
The latest Bosch electronics help keep braking, traction control and engine braking all working at their
best. Of five levels of traction control I ended up on Level 2 having started with traction turned off and probably looking like I was in a drifting competition. Level 2 allowed a small amount of slip but would help drive the bike off the corner and not have it bog down.
Four riding modes are available: Sport, Road, Rain and Rider. I used Rider mode with full power (why use anything else) and the good thing about Rider mode is you can switch the traction control to your liking with a direct feeling. Some quickshifters can feel a bit ‘soft’ and can result in the ignition being cut when you don’t want it to, not so on the ZX-10R.
To complete the electronics package, Ohlins supplies the electronic steering damper. Unlike a mechanical steering damper – in which the settings, once fixed, must cover all riding conditions and speeds – the damping characteristics are changed electronically according to vehicle speed, and the degree of acceleration or deceleration. At low speeds, the settings were chosen such that damping does not interfere with the bike’s intrinsic lightweight handling. At high speeds, damping increases to provide enhanced navigation of road surface conditions.
I bang on about quickshifters all the time and that’s because they’re awesome! The ZX-10R has up and down and works perfectly.
Brembo front calipers are hugely powerful and the ABS is not intrusive and I never had it kick in on the front into the hard braking areas of turn 2 and 9. There is also cornering ABS if you get it all wrong and one thing I did like is the electronic control of rear ABS lets you take control in certain circumstances. As the tyres slipped and slid (especially around Corporate Hill) I used a lot of rear brake to try and help it stay on line and turn. With a standard ABS system this could result in ABS kicking in, but the electronics are smart enough to work it all out and not intervene – awesome!
Accessories are limited for road use with some heated grips, pillion seat cover, knee pads, frame sliders, axle sliders and scratch resistant film for the
TEST
TFT meter, but you can get a pair of Marchesini forged aluminium wheels for even lighter handling and faster acceleration. The big news is you can get a selection of race kit parts for track only work. The parts include –Race kit ECU: in addition, the ability to modify fuel and ignition maps, the race kit ECU enables more detailed settings in the following areas, among others:
- For each of S-KTRC’s 5 modes, traction control and wheel lift control (usually linked) can be adjusted independently
- Kawasaki Engine Brake Control settings can be adjusted for each individual gear
- Output to the electronic steering damper can be disabled to enable the use of a mechanical steering damper
Note: Race kit harness must also be fitted.
Offset steering head collars allow the steering stem position to be adjusted +/-4 mm forward/backward from the standard position (Standard: +0 mm). Other collars enable the caster angle to be adjusted.
Offset swingarm pivot collars: allow the swingarm pivot position to be adjusted +/-1 mm up/down from the centre position (Standard: +0 mm).
Other race kit engine parts include: alternate head gaskets; oil catch tank; chain tensioner; connecting rod and crankshaft journal bearings (4 thicknesses available); clutch; gears; engine cover gaskets.
Other race kit chassis parts include: chain guard; alternative/replacement fork springs; rear ride height spacers; racing harness.
If you’re serious about having one of the best litre sportsbikes on the market you better pop into your Kawasaki dealer and place an order, and, if you’re super serious, (or going racing) the limited production ZX10RR is what you’ll want. There are only 500 worldwide and they’re priced at $42,000, so you might be lucky to get one. If not, wait until later in the year when race teams will be wanting to move on current race bikes and grab one of those. The ZX-10RR does come from the factory in road legal trim, so ask for the road gear as well if buying a race bike…just in case. D
Specs
KAWASAKI ZX-10R
PRICE: $26,000 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 12,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: 998cc liquid-cooled in-line four cylinder, 76x55mm bore/stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 7.92 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 214km
COLOURS: Lime Green/Ebony/Pearl Blizzard White (KRT), Flat Ebony (KRT)
VERDICT: Make the others green with envy
C L A S S I C C H A L L E N G E
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY…
Old Bike Australia Classic Challenge
WORDS & PHOTOS STUART
All set up and waiting…
THE USUAL INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL of Speed held in March each year at Sydney Motorsport Park had been renamed this year to the Old Bike Australia Classic Challenge. Due to Covid there were no international racers attending so the Post Classic Racing Association (PCRA) made the event a larger scale club type meeting.
I had spent months prepping, The Beast, my and my mate Chris’s Yamaha FZR1000. Alex Pickett who usually rides it had to work so we decided to give young hotshot Jack Passfield –a top Australian Supersport runner -- a go on it.
It got wet anyway… on the way home
I took Jack for a test day at SMSP and he quickly set some good times. Roll onto the Classic Challenge weekend and the weather was looking nasty. Jack was keen to go out in the rain, but the torrential and consistent downpour flooded the track in many areas causing the Clerk of the Course to cancel the first day of the meeting. Fingers were crossed for the second day of racing with lighter rain predicted.
It wasn’t to be, the rain continued to hammer down and none of the rivers and deep puddles around the track had changed. They had possibly become worse, so the Clerk of the Course made the (again) tough decision to cancel the days racing. So, The Beast
didn’t even get started.
All stripped and the cleaning begins, even without being raced . Yes, I’m a bit crazy
It was such a shame, all the people at PCRA had put in a huge effort to make this a wonderful event – they should be congratulated. Entries were huge with 200 odd bikes set to hit the track, but I guess Mother Nature had other ideas and the lack of drainage at SMSP hit the nail on the head for any racing. As Jack didn’t get to have a race I have promised him another go and we’ll look at running a round of the Retro Superbikes with St George Motorcycle Club. I’ll also be getting Alex back on the bike for one of the other St George Retro Superbike rounds, or a PCRA meeting.
Stay tuned, and dry.
L
O N G T E R M E R S
UNPLUGGED
Super Soco TC Max
Well, after getting to adjust to the Super Soco for the last few months, it has been returned.You will get to see what it has been replaced with, but adjusting life around an electric vehicle has been an interesting learning curve. I can’t remember what it was like when I first got my licence and planning where service stations were to fill up, but I assume the same planning has been what I’ve done while riding the Super Soco. Making sure there’s enough charge for where I’m going and if there is a charging point at the other end, that I can return to where I started for a charge. I also lent the Super Soco out to a good friend. She fell in love with riding it. She loved that it was something different, but how
STOP THAT!
Kawasaki Z900RS
Hitting something like 26,000km on the Z900RS, it was now time to replace the front discs and brake pads. The standard discs had warped with a healthy shudder when squeezing the lever, so my father purchased some discs from Metal Gear and I sourced the simply amazing SBS EVO Sinter pads from the great folk at Kenma –kenma.com.au. Replacing the discs is easy enough – make sure when you’re putting each disc bolt back in to place some Loctite on the threads. Replacing the brake pads is a relatively simple job too on the RS. I slotted in the SBS pads, bolted the calipers back in place and cleaned everything up with some brake clean – a great idea after working on your brakes, and especially on new discs as there can be some manufacturing oil or dirt. I sent the old boy off for a test ride, mentioning the pads will get better after 100km or so and he came back
light and easy to ride it is. She even considered buying it! You can’t get much better praise than that. The TC Max is extremely light so handling is awesome in traffic. Almost like riding a mountain bike in a way. There is enough power to keep up with traffic and just enough
to pull away from traffic lights to clear traffic behind. As an inner-city machine that needs very little maintenance, other than checking tyre pressures and charging the battery, the Super Soco TC Max is a smart choice. Keep an open mind and go check one out. vmotosoco.com.au SW
after a lap around the block saying he was simply stunned at how much better the braking performance is. The feel and power (straight from the get go) from the SBS pads made the RS feel like it had the latest and greatest race bike braking system. SBS EVO Sinter pads have that effect on every bike we’ve now fitted them to. We’ve even had a couple of you guys and girls tell us how great you’ve
found them. So, what are you waiting for?
Grab a set and whip them in.You’ll fall in love. For the Z900RS the pads are priced at $76 per side. As mentioned, grab them from Kenma, all good bike shops and in Melbourne, Monza Imports. SW
WHEN IT COMES TO places around the world to ride motorcycles, there are so many possibilities for epic riding, sensational scenery and fascinating culture. To help you pick through and inspire you to get out and find your ultimate riding adventure, we’ve compiled destination guides for some of the best places in the world to ride your bike.
AMM
Patagonia – one of the great wilderness regions of the world – is an incredibly rewarding place to ride a bike. It is no exaggeration to describe the scenery as truly phenomenal; from the luminous unworldly colours of the glacial lakes to striking mountain peaks and panoramic vistas stretching out to a distant
horizon with not a shred of evidence of human interference. Patagonia is made up of the bottom third of Chile and Argentina and includes the vast, windswept plains of the Patagonian steppe, the jaw-dropping views of the Argentinean Lake District and the imposing peaks of the Andean mountain range. All of this in a region with a huge mixture of cultural flavours ranging from a German village to remote sheep farms via Gaucho cowboy settlements somewhere along the way. If you’re not yet sold on this fascinating destination for a spot of motorcycle exploring, then the cuisine just might win you over.
The Roads
Patagonia has several iconic roads, but definitely the top two are Carretera
Austral and Ruta Cuarenta. Carretera Austral was built by the Chilean army under dictator Augusto Pinochet to connect Chile with its Patagonian region. It runs through thick forests, fjords, glaciers and steep mountains and is still largely a dirt road, although more tarmac crops up each year. Ruta Cuarenta (Route 40) rivals the famous Route 66 in the USA for length, at around 5,000 kilometres running north to south across the Patagonian Steppe, alongside the Andes. Now it is mostly tarmac, but still with some great dirt sections for those who like a little gravel beneath their wheels. Outside of these two there are endless dirt roads and dirt trails to explore. Great mountain riding balances super twisty roads with very beautiful scenery.
Who is Motorrad Tours
Motorrad Tours is an Official Travel Partner of BMW Motorrad, founded by Richard Millington, the man behind the words in this feature, and run by Chris Hone. Between them they have years of experience and literally millions of miles of route planning and tour delivery under their belts. Along with their team of tour leaders, they have a comprehensive knowledge of the best riding destinations on planet Earth and they’ve spent the last decade perfecting riding adventures around them. From the Highlands of Scotland to the rice paddies of Vietnam, Motorrad Tours trips keep people coming back time and time again. So 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.
Almost too beautiful; I watched someone a couple of years ago ride clean off the road because they were staring at the scenery thinking “I can’t believe I’m riding a bike in a place like this”. Of course, shortly after thinking that he wasn’t; he was sitting beside his bike on the grass verge feeling a bit silly. Riding across the Patagonian Steppe can be very challenging thanks to the varying surface and powerful cross winds; be prepared to ride leaning over at 25 degrees in straight line.
On Ruta 40, if the wind hits on the gravel sections you have to pick a track
where the trucks have worn the gravel down to a nice hard base. This works a treat right up to the point where wind lifts you into the soft gravel or you get to a corner. Everybody seems to take slightly different lines around the corners and that nice hard base track you’ve been enjoying fades away to a nice spread of soft gravel. And then the tracks all drift back together and the nice worn-in hard base reappears; it’s challenges like these that make the trip such an adventure, keeping you on your toes every step of the way.
There’s a section of the Carretera
Austral out of the village of Puyuhuapi with a fantastic climb up some 15 hairpins on a really tight, steep climb. That and the wind on the steppe are probably the most interesting sections of the trip. One common theme though is the sealing of these iconic roads – you really do need to get out and ride Patagonia now, before all the best bits are bitumen and full of bus tours.
The Weather
The riding season in Patagonia is short, essentially November to the end of March. Spring is the best time to go, that’s November, as you’ll get lambs springing around fields, baby guanacos, wild flowers; it’s just a beautiful time to be there. As you’ll be riding in the Andes, and you are a long way south it can rain, it will be cold at altitude at times and it can even snow. If you go in the summer, basically January, you’re more likely to get better weather but it isn’t as pretty and there’s still no guarantee that it won’t rain or snow on you. Temperatures can be as high as late twenties, and we’ve seen as low as two degrees Celsius. Which leads us on to what riding kit to take. Simple answer, take it all. The warm stuff, the waterproof stuff and the layers.
The best places to visit
We keep banging on about the views, but each time we go, every single day consists of ‘wow’, then another ‘wow’ and then a bigger ‘wow’ and then you’ve run out of ‘wows’ and the word starts to sound silly. But it really is like that every day; blue lagoons, green lagoons, incredible lakes, incredible mountains, the national parks; it just goes on and on.
As well as the views, (did we mention the views?) you have to visit Butch Cassidy’s hideout and the five kilometre wide Perito Moreno Glacier. If you keep going down you end up crossing the Magellan Straits onto Tierra del Fuego, the land of fire. Riding through Argentinean Tierra del Fuego you suddenly find the road becomes ten lanes wide from two lanes and is dead straight for three kilometers. And then ten lanes becomes two and you realise you’ve been riding on an emergency runway; a fallout from the Falklands
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
DRIRIDER
dririder.com.au
I owned both in the late 2000s and these bikes meant different things for
Touring 2 Panniers – $199.95
600D Ripstop construction featuring universal fit expandable soft side bags (18–31L capacity), Velcro fitting and attachment straps, extra side compartments, heat resistant base in case of accidental contact with the exhaust, includes PE boards for shape retention, equipped with rain cover and shoulder strap, anti–scratch non–slip material on inner side and reflective strip for night safety.
Navigator Mini Tank Bag
Magnetic – $59.95
war. Criss-crossing the border with Chile, you continue down to Ushuaia – the southernmost city in the world.
ANDY STRAPZ andystrapz.com
Avduro Panniers – $475
The name Avduro nods its lid to the mix of Enduro and Adventure.
Since their inception in 2003 Andy Strapz panniers have evolved in line with the demands of modern Adventure riders.
The food
Argentina is famed for its food and Patagonia is home to some of the best steaks and red wine in the world. In most places you can eat incredible steak and drink fine wine and still come home with change from $50.
Our favourite bit
Made in Australia from their tried and crashed, 17oz Aussie, Dynaproofed canvas, they are packed (pun intended, sorry) with new approaches to the existing features.
The basics of the pannier bags remain unchanged from those Andy made for himself all that time ago. If it ain’t broke…
Although the basics stood the test of time and Aussie riders, that doesn’t mean the nice little extras can’t be tweaked and improved such as what you’ll find with the Avduro.
Scoota Bagz – $74
Accommodation will vary from lovely four-star hotels to lots of comfortable hosteria; the Patagonian take on a simple hotel offering comfortable, en suite accommodation. You’ll find lots of cabins, nice cabins, along the way too. Sleeping in a bunkroom on a working farm might sound like roughing it, but staying in the fourberth estancia bunkrooms is always a highlight for me. No wifi, no phone signal and power from a generator –it’s proper remote living and a great thing to experience. The back-to-basics setup and enforced room sharing breeds a great atmosphere, fresh lamb cooked on a parrilla enjoying conversation over a backdrop of unspoilt stargazing.
600D Ripstop construction featuring a non–slip anti–scratch base, strong magnets for secure holding, includes waist strap and is sized at 180x130x30 –great for carrying phone, wallet, money and/or cards.
Fifteen kilometres south of there is the Lapataia National Park where the road stops and you reach the revered sign saying Fin del Mundo – The End of the World. South from there it’s the Antarctic Ocean.
The bits to avoid
If you’re hiring bikes on a trip through Patagonia starting in Chile, you will have to finish in Chile – you can’t enter Argentina with a bike and leave without it or vice versa. However many pieces it’s in. On the subject of
paperwork and border rules, Australian Nationals don’t need a visa, but you will need an IDP (International Driving Permit). As you travel through Patagonia, you’re likely to cross into and out of Argentina several times.
A small courier style, shoulder bag with an external flap. A very neat size to carry on the bike.
The good news is the border crossings are safe, sensible and legitimate – they’re not bribe-fuelled hustler borders here. They are, however, sticklers for paperwork, so make sure you have all your bike and personal documents in order and ready with a few spare pages for all the stamps in your passport. Oh and don’t carry any fresh fruit with you, that’s a big no no.
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.
Designed to fit an A4 sized file, Andy’s Scoota Bagz are constructed from 1000–denier (jargon for bloody tough) Korda nylon with waterproof backing and brown oil–less oilskin, a combination of both!
e 2010s
Functional and handsome enough for everyday use the Scoota features two external pockets with dividers under the front flap and inside the bag, rear–mounted handle, angled shoulder strap for optimal comfort. And a rugged two–inch side–mounted release clip for helmet–on removal.
STUART – BMW R 1200 GS
Water-Cooled Magic
Patagonia is a genuine wilderness; an incredible place to ride a motorcycle, with vast stretches across the plains, broken up by tight, technical mountain passes. The weather can vary hugely, but the hospitality is always the same –friendly, happy and there’s always a special welcome for those tackling the country by bike. Go there now, discover unspoiled settlements in the middle of nowhere and try not to ride off the road while admiring the scenery. Did I mention how good the views are already? D
Let it be known, BMW have pretty much always held amazing new bike launches and the introduction of the
KAWASAKI VERSYS 650L
Versystility to spare
THE PROBLEM WITH ENJOYING the wonderful corners and spectacular scenery of the Northern Rivers in NSW is that you’ve got to get there. Not much of a problem from Brisbane or the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, but it’s 800km plus from Sydney by the most direct route and correspondingly more from other major bunches of motorcyclists. Most of the bikes that will take you up there over that kind of distance will not be ideal for the motorcyclist’s heaven that awaits you. Most of the bikes that will provide maximum enjoyment up there, on the other hand, will not be comfortable while you cover the distance.
What to do, what to do. As it turned out, Kawasaki came to my assistance with an unexpected machine – the Versys 650L.
In its own way, the bike is the latest in a long line of 500 to 650cc twin cylinder motorcycles that stretches back to before even I began riding. These bikes have always been honest, workmanlike machines – although in the early days they were also
WORDS & PHOTOS THE BEAR
performance bikes – which have served millions of motorcyclists with reliability and enthusiasm.
“What?” I hear you cry. “You‘ve done it again, Bear. The Versyses (Versii?) have always been adventure bikes!”
The early models were certainly an attempt at that, complete with the somewhat awkward styling that Japanese manufacturers often imposed on their adventure ranges, especially in the single and twin mid-size class.
See Suzuki’s V Strom and any number of Honda attempts to get the look right. Along with that awkwardness in looks the bikes have always (go on, hit me with an exception) been somewhat ambiguous in their equipment. They have, without wishing to be critical, been ‘soft’ adventure bikes. This Versys is even softer, and the better for it. Despite the relatively long-
travel suspension, it is a road bike – something confirmed by the tyre choice if you need confirmation. Kawasaki reveals a certain uncertainty about the bike which, apparently, “refuses to be restricted to any one classification. Difficult to explain and impossible to categorise, the Versys
TOUR TEST
650L is one of those machines that exceeds the sum of its parts.” Right.
Kawasaki says that the headlight layout is intended to provide a more aggressive, sporty design than the previous stacked headlights, and that’s worked well. The overall appearance of the bike is quite sporty, one of the things that makes it look less like an adventure bike. Airflow management was a priority when the bike was designed, and the moveable screen does a good job.
Overall comfort is spot on. Kawasaki has taken trouble to direct the engine’s heat downwards, away from the rider, and the rubber mounts keep vibration to a minimum. The handlebar is also rubber mounted, but it avoids the wobbly feel that that can cause.
So, what is the Versys 650L? You can’t call it a soft adventure bike. That sounds like an insult. And it isn’t that, anyway. It is a well-designed and wellequipped road bike. One that doesn’t need any qualification beyond that. It is a motorcycle that I suspect anyone, no matter what bike they already had in their garage, would make room for. It would supplement just about any other bike you owned.
Motorcycles with midrange capacity are very nearly ideal allrounders. They are light enough to handle effortlessly, solid enough to carry two people and luggage, able to handle poor quality roads, torquey enough to pull out of corners and hardy enough to survive even Australian roads. The Versys fits into that wish list perfectly. Apart from the light and effortless handling, I really liked the forgiving way the bike would power out of corners. On the Oxley Highway I missed the ideal line a couple of times, as one does, but the bike just tracked out. The power restriction for Learner status didn’t worry me, and I kept up comfortably with much larger bikes.
Given the amazing range, the bike is a perfectly adequate tourer except for the seat which does get a bit painful after a day or so in the saddle. Nothing an air seat won’t fix, but I was determined to try the bike as-is. I carried my gear in a Nelson-Rigg tank
bag and a Kuryakyn luggage roll, but you can get panniers, a top box and other gear for the bike from Kawasaki’s extensive range of accessories. The 28 litre panniers will each hold a full face helmet according to Kawasaki, but I couldn’t check that for you. Panniers and top box can be locked with the ignition key. The panniers mount without unsightly rails, and can be used with the 47 litre top box. Payload has been increased by 30kg to 210kg.
The seat is at a reasonable height, but the pillion seat is higher and the luggage roll on top of it made it impossible for me to swing my leg over the way I normally would. This became a problem at times, but I can’t see a way around it. If you’re a bit short in the inseam, don’t load luggage onto the pillion seat. All in all, although the bike makes a perfectly adequate tourer it is probably more in its element as a city bike and weekend scratcher.
The Versys’ Candy Lime Green with Metallic Spark Black does look smart, and it matches the general build quality. The single instrument binnacle is easy to read and offers the combination I prefer: a dial for revs and a digital readout for speed. The ‘remaining range’ readout is as pessimistic as these are on most bikes, but the other instruments are good.
I put nearly 5000km on this bike over a couple of weeks, which might seem to contradict what I’ve said about the seat’s suitability for long distance work. The comfortable riding position helped. I even did a one-day 850km run down the superslab because I had to get home. Most of my riding, however, was on roads that looked a bit like sections of the Tail of the Dragon. Much as I enjoyed the bike’s handling and steering, what probably impressed me more than anything else was the range. Five hundred kilometres per 21 litre tank is adventure bike territory, as is the service interval of 12,000km even if the rest of the Versys is more like a road bike. Point to note: I am notoriously easy on fuel consumption. You might not get my 4.2km/l. D
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 4.2 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 500km
COLOURS: Candy Lime Green with Metallic Spark Black
VERDICT: Ain’t no lamb
HOTEL
RATED 5 OUT OF 5 HELMETS
Court House Hotel
27 Hanson St Corryong Vic T: 02 6076 1711
NO TOWN THAT I know of in Australia has forged (what an appropriate term!) its identity on unproven myth, legend, hearsay and downright invention more than Corryong on the Upper Murray has done with a bloke called Jack Riley.
You can’t enter the town from any direction without being welcomed by a silhouette of a fella on a horse with a whip. The fella, not the horse. There’s a statue you can’t avoid in the middle of the main street. There’s hardly a store without some tacky representation of “The Man”.
Banjo Paterson explicitly denied that any one person was the model for his Man from Snowy River but that hasn’t stopped local ‘experts’ and vested interests from pushing aside the claims of up to half a dozen old stockmen as being the inspiration for ‘The Man’ in favour of their bloke.
Jack Riley, whom Norman Abjorensen in 1995 labelled, “a dubious character, a tailor by trade, and a man who did time for horse stealing...a skilled bushman…but a braggart as well,” is but one of the claimants. His grave up in the Corryong cemetery is inscribed, “In Memory of The Man from Snowy River Jack Riley buried here 16th July 1914”. Doesn’t mention that he was born on the other side of the world or that spent very little time in this town. To call him a Corryong person because he died here is a bit like calling Captain Cook a Hawaiian.
WORDS & PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN
It’s a goodun’
Court House Hotel
Good staff, very friendly locals, quality blow-ins, decent food, reasonable drinks prices, secure bike parking and good accommodation, this place pretty much has it all – and that’s before considering the surrounding roads and countryside. And the surrounding Corryong-Towong-Tintaldra-Cudgewa-B400 to Shelley Rd-Shelley Rd(C547)-Murray River Road to Granya – Tallangatta – Koetong- Corryong loop is one of the best 3 hours of riding you’re going to ever do. Then there’s a 6-hour beauty down through the Nariel Valley to Omeo and back up through Mitta Mitta (great pub), Tallangatta and home and you’re going to need a couple of nights here. And remember, if you’re running late, ring ahead and you’ll still have dinner waiting. Five Helmets, 120 for value and on the strength staff and locals, 4.5 from 5 for character.
Koetong Hotel
A top place reborn and under the care of a riding couple anchored in their community but welcoming of riders and other visitors. I’ll be overnighting here as soon as they get the accommodation up and running. An esky full of drinks and meat to cook down beside my tent? Hell yeah! Wasn’t there long enough to rate it but if you don’t enjoy this place, I’ll refund your drink money! Koetong Hotel 6156 Murray Valley Highway Koetong T: 02 60727515
Corryong Loop 1
Corryong Loop 2
So, Jack Riley is a double myth: his connection to Corryong and his connection to the poem are equally fantastical. And the blokes at the bar of the town’s Court House Hotel, on the clear cool day I drop in are well aware of it.
Hume puts his empty 7 oz glass back on the bar. “It’s a bit of fiction. It brings people to the town which is a good thing and no-one gets hurt so it’s a harmless bit of fun.”
Unlike Riley, Hume was born in the local hospital, and was ten years old when the Black Friday fires devastated the town in January 1939.
“I remember it hitting the town. It went from one side of the hills to the other and then just swirled back onto
the town. All the family got in a truck thing and we went down to the creek and stayed under the bridge there for a day and a night and then two days later after we left, the bridge burnt down too. Will never forget it – the
noise and the heat. No-one who was there then ever could. Our farm was pretty much all burnt out, so we all just had to start all over again.”
He reckons the fires of 2020 were less frightening, the response more
PUB OF THE MONTH
measured. Maybe he’d just seen it all before.
As he has his first for the day, Hume tells that he was a late starter to drinking. Our farm was a fair way out of town and we didn’t have grog in the house and we didn’t have a car either - we used to have to ride the horse to come in here and I wasn’t sure about riding home after a few so I never really had the opportunity until I was 25 and went to a party at Cudgewa.”
Once he’d established he could manage a horse after a beer, Hume starting drinking here at the Courthouse hotel but it was very different back then:
“Right here where I’m sitting was
where the hitching rail for the horses was, and beside that was their water troughs – they were only knocked down maybe thirty years ago. And where the dining-room is now, that used to be shops and a haberdashery”
Guarding the pub’s front door when I’d pulled up was a mobility scooter with a lapdog on the footrests, enjoying the sunshine. Belongs to George, known around here as ‘Grumblebum’ who has his own pew where he’s near the taps, “so the beer’s fresh and cold” and can see the race monitors with his remaining eye.
He reckons he’s not the dog’s owner just its ‘designated driver’ but when I ask him about it, ‘Sheepdog’ down
A must stop
ONE OF THE GREAT surprises from my ride down here last month was coming around a curve on the Murray Valley Highway and seeing bikes out front of the Koetong Pub.
Yep, this landmark spot has re-opened which is great news to counter the closing of the Cudgewa Hotel, half an hour east. Next day I headed back.
In November 2019 Shelley and husband Alan put their deposit on the Koey pub, which’d been closed for almost a year. During settlement the fires ravaged the area but the pub wasn’t touched and, figuring the worst had passed, settled on the pub on March 6th 2020.
Two weeks before the state was locked down.
They spent the time renovating and sorting the paperwork. Two days after the liquor license was granted, the second lockdown clamped them shut again. But they’ve made it through and it is one of the few small pubs around already open 7 days a week.
Folks from Tallangatta, Corryong and from publess Cudgewa are fast becoming regulars and the pub’s repaying the support of the locals by sourcing all its goods from around here.
All meat comes from one of my favourite butchers - Cavanagh’s
in Tallangatta and all bread from the excellent bakery next door to them. Eggs are from Granya, honey comes from Pine Mountain, biltong from a fella in Cudgewa while coffee comes from Honeybird at Mt Beauty. The fruit and veg plus pies are brought in from Corryong by the Kiewa Milk milkman.
Just two beers on tap (Schooners are $7.00, pots $5.00) and in a complete mobile phone blackspot the place proudly boasts it’s ‘wifi free’.
Effectively no accommodation right now as the only self-contained cottage is permanently booked with post-fire crews.
The plan is to quickly fix the backyard and offer free camping for pub patrons. There’ll be a large bbq and they’ll will offer ‘barbie packs with meat from Cavanagh’s and salads and of course whatever drinks are required.’ Sounds a brilliant concept. Imagine a group ride rocking up to a pub with tents or swags and having all the essentials just waiting for you.
Just a quick drop-in – enough time to sample the homemade slice and a decent coffee - convinces me that this traditional rider stop is back big time. Healthy now, in good hands and headed to a great future. Don’t zoom by!
PUB
Look mum, no hands!
This is a highly abridged and adapted excerpt from my forthcoming book: “Drinking the Rivers,Vol 1. The pubs and people of the Murray and Edward Rivers”, to be (finally) released after a 12-month covid delay by New Holland in August 2021 for Father’s Day. To register your interest in a pre-publication signed copy just email me at: idrink@ nothingbutthepub.com
the bar puts it that the current dog’s nowhere near as good (or as hardy) as Grumblebum’s previous one:
“One day I was going out fishing with George and we were almost at the river and I got out to open a gate and Patch jumped out wanting to chase a hare and George just hit the gas and ran over his dog - put skid marks on him and all but it was real muddy so Patch pretty much got squashed into the mud but he was pretty messed up, bleeding and all. And I said we’d better take him up to the vet but George said not so fast, we should put the rods in first so we did and the dog pulled through. When we got back our baits had been taken but the fish’d gone. Wasn’t a real successful day.”
I head out for a spin up to Koetong where the pub’s reopened (see sidebar) and when I get back Adam in wellworn bluey and fluro daks is chowing on a meal that’s getting washed with Bundy.
He’s a log truckie and he’s on the phone relaying dinner orders to Tamaraw - who’s taken over from Murray behind the bar - from his
mates still back up the mountain. It’s 7.45pm and the kitchen’s supposed to close in 15 minutes. Little chance they’ll be here by then.
At five-to the chef comes out and Adam tells him to start their meals but chef says he’ll wait until right at the end. They eventually front at a quarter past, no more than 2 minutes after their plates have hit the bar. This is that sort of pub.
One of ‘em, Luke’s got Stars of David tattooed on each knuckle, ‘so even if I lose a fight the bloke I punch will see stars’ and there’s the word ‘king’ scorched between his thumb and first finger so he can see it when er... never mind.
These blokes are working flat chat. They’re pulling down the fire damaged eucalypts before they dry out too much. Their window is closing and so their days are long and you’re going to encounter a logging truck along the wonderful twisting roads of this area. Meanwhile the burnt pines are useless. Super Ten gets parked undercover in the secluded and security camera scoped side driveway. Two employees
RIDE ROADS
live in adjoining houses and if there’s no room for your bikes at the pub, they’ll make undercover room available at their homes. Beat that!
I take my prawn fettucine - decent but not brilliant - out into the quieter sanity of the restored beer garden and tell Adam, Luke and the Witnesses that I’ll try to be up for their invitation to join ‘em at 5am for a trip up the mountain. In the morning, after a brilliant night’s sleep in a double bed, I smash the alarm and rollover.
All 13 available rooms ($75 a single, $100 a double) have ensuites, heater, pedestal fan, mini fridge and a jug. Most are newly painted, bright, windows are screened and the balcony out front is a smasher for your morning brew.
There’s a feed on 7 days until 8pm and if you’re like the loggers and running late, ring ahead and you’ll still get dinner.
Corryong’s Court House Hotel is up there with the most motorcycle friendly accommodation-providing pubs on the Upper Murray.
And that’s no myth. D
DO HAVE A COW, MAN
Or maybe just visit in this case
MOO MOO ROADHOUSE
5887 Tweed Valley Way Mooball, 02 6677 0057
WHEN YOU SEE A roadhouse painted to look like a Holstein cow –not the shape, just the colouring – what can you do but stop for a look and, in my case, fuel? The Moo Moo Café (or roadhouse, depending on where you read a description) has been there for many years, but it has become far more accessible since the road that runs past it is no longer the main northern highway. That’s taken care of by a nearby freeway. You no longer need to worry about being taken out by a semi when you turn into its driveway.
This Tripadvisor review says it all: “A lovely drive to get to the café. There was lots of leather and lycra when I was there, amazing breakfast, wonderful coffee... yumm coffee. Wonderful staff happy and fun. A large motor bike on the verge so you can’t miss the cafe. Fuel and toilets available.”
Who could ask for more? Well, the café advertises not only ‘fuel, food and coffee’ but also ‘Mad Bikes, Hotrods, Memorabilia and a Gift Shop’. Yes, the place has it all and this is in a tiny settlement of what seems like half a dozen houses. There is a pub and another café down the road, but this is the one for motorcyclists. Obviously it is also a major gathering point for our tribe!
The giant Yamaha race bike parked across the road would make the place impossible to miss even if it wasn’t for the black and white cow patterned power poles which already do that job. On the road to the north are the Burringbar Esses, once part of the main highway and now a much quieter opportunity to practice your cornering. Beware the speed camera on the northern side!
PT
(We salute the motorcycle-friendly Northern Rivers, NSW in our next issue.) D
1 2 3
1 Motorcycle memorabilia, a few old bikes and a lot of graphics brand the Moo Moo as a motorcyclists’ hangout, although the ‘lycra brigade’ gets in there too.
2 If the ancient Golden Fleece bowser in the background is to be believed, this speed record device is jet powered.We couldn’t get anyone to start it up for us.
3 The nice lady behind the counter assured us that the fuel was definitely not sourced from bovines.
4 It’s a good thing that the race bike across the road has trainer wheels. Someone had fun with this – can any reader give us a bit more information about it?
EDELWEISS BIKE TRAVEL
IS keen to get an Australian Motorcyclist magazine readers tour on the go and boy have they started strong. Rockin’ Morocco is the place and all we need to hope is international travel opens up shortly. This will be a trip not to be missed.
This 14 day trip to Morocco includes places that are not on the normal Edelweiss Morocco tour, so we all get something special for joining it.
The ‘Best of Morocco’ tour will be held from 24 October to 6 November 2021. Not only that, but we have organised an annual readers tour from now on. So, get your interest registered with the folk at Edelweiss and let’s get there and have an awesome time!
Riding level
As you can imagine, Morocco has dirt roads, so please bear in mind that your experience level should high enough to be able to manage riding on dirt roads. We’re told the degree of difficulty is not beyond any normal rider who has ridden on a dirt road. If you haven’t, you’ve got time to do it before the tour.
Best of Morocco
(Tour code: SPT21027)
24 October 2021 – 06 November 2021
14 days/13 nights – 12 riding days
Day 1 Arrival in Marrakech
Day 2 Marrakech to Essaouira
Day 3 Essaouira to Agadir
Day 4 Agadir (rest day)
Day 5 Agadir to Tizourgane
Day 6 Tizourgane to Foum Zguid
Day 7 Foum Zguid to Mhamid
Day 8 Mhamid to Zagora / Agzd
Day 9 Zagora / Agzd to Boumalne Dades
Day 10 Boumalne Dades to Ait Ben Haddu
Day 11 Ait Ben Haddu (rest day)
Day 12 Ait Ben Haddu to Taroudannt
Day 13 Taroudannt to Marrakech
Day 14 Departure from Marrakech
Highlights
• All the highlights of Marrakech
• The old town of Essaouira
• Agadir and the Atlantic beaches
• Ride through the dessert
• Camp in the dessert
• Wadis and oasis
• The gorges Todra and Dades
• The ancient town of Ait Ben Haddu
• Two times crossing the Atlas Mountains
• Riding the Atlas and Antiatlas mountains
• The most spectacular pass Tizi n Test
• Fantastic food, Berber culture, etc.
Daily distance 175-330 km
Included services
• All overnights (comfortable middle-class hotels, oriental kashbahs and riads) during entire tour
• Breakfast every day
• 2 picnics/lunches
• 13 dinners
• Motorcycle rental with unlimited mileage
• Third party liability insurance for motorcycles
• Comprehensive vehicle insurance for motorcycles with deductible according to the booked motorcycle model
• Tour information package in English or German including safety tips, details about the hotels, the route and the sights
• English and German speaking tour guide on motorcycle
• Support van for luggage transportation
• Edelweiss Riding Tips
Optional services
Optional deductible reduction on included motorcycle insurance (Cover All / Cover Plus)
Services not included
All services not mentioned and all items of a personal nature.
Please note
This group tour is not suitable for people with limited mobility.
Terms and conditions
Edelweiss terms and conditions can be found at edelweissbike.com/en/ reisebedingungen.php. D
Tour price per person in USD
Price for a Rider in a Double Room
Motorcycle Category 1: BMW G 310 Gs, BMW G 310 R, Honda NC 750 S, Honda NC 750 S DCT, Honda NC 750 X, Honda NC 750 X DCT, Suzuki Vstrom 650, Yamaha Tracer 700
Motorcycle Category 2: BMW F 750 Gs (Lsp), Yamaha Tenere 700
Motorcycle Category 3: BMW F 850 Gs, BMW F 900 R, BMW F 900 Xr, Ducati Monster 821, Ducati Multistrada 950, Honda CRF 1100 L Africa Twin, Honda CRF 1100 L Africa Twin Dct, Suzuki Vstrom 1050 Xt, Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, Yamaha Tracer 900
Motorcycle Category 4: BMW R 1250 Gs, BMW R 1250 Gs (Lsp), BMW R 1250 R, BMW R 1250 Rs, BMW S 1000 Xr, Ducati Monster 1200, Ducati Multistrada 1260 S, Triumph Tiger Explorer, Yamaha Super Tenere
5: BMW R 1250 Gs Adv, BMW R 1250 Rt
5980
HOW DID TWO TENACIOUS New Zealanders, with a lifelong passion for Post Classic motorcycle racing, overcome countless technical challenges to develop what is arguably the fastest and most exquisitely built classic Honda
Four ‘monster’ on the planet? Oh! And you should hear this thing! Never have you heard such aural pornographic delights!
A handful of years ago at a Bikers Classic race meeting held at Belgium’s Circuit de SpaFrancorchamps, the team of Vince & Hyde Racing competed in a round of the CSBK Masters Series with their beautifully built AMA Honda CB750F Superbike Replica and were immediately competitive, taking second in the AMA Legends class and fifth overall on their very first race at Spa.
This is their story…
THE VINCE & HYDE RACING TEAM BACKGROUND
Rider: Vince Sharpe, Auckland New Zealand. Vince is 61 and is the team’s very experienced rider, having started in road racing with
production motorcycles over 40 years ago. Back in the Seventies and Eighties, Vince campaigned Honda CB750Fs, CB900Fs, the mighty six-cylinder CBX and also the CX500, culminating with the limited production CB1100R at race tracks all over New Zealand. Vince also competed in Australia in events including the Castrol 6-Hour, Bathurst and Arai 500 races, and the Coca Cola 800.
Crew chief/Engineer: Brent Hyde, Auckland New Zealand
Just one look at the Vince & Hyde Racing Honda CB750F Superbike and you can immediately see this is one extremely special and beautifully presented motorcycle. It literally bristles with exquisitely handcrafted components. With almost every nut, bolt, washer, both axles, the swinging arm pivot and all engine mount bolts and even the engine connecting rods being made of titanium, it is clearly a great testimony to Brent’s engineering skill and astounding attention to detail. Incredibly, Brent has no formal training in automotive or mechanical engineering.
In 1975, while competing at a local drag racing event, Brent got
chatting to fellow competitor Vince Sharpe who was using drag racing as a way to improve his road racing starts. From this a lifelong friendship a partnership was born that has continued for more than 40 years.
THE EARLY DAYS – MUCH PAIN, LITTLE GAIN.
Way back in the early Eighties, the motorcycle racing world was treated to the spectacle of ‘Fast Freddie’ Spencer and Mike Baldwin successfully competing in the AMA Superbike races with highly developed versions of the DOHC Honda engines. These were basically stock bikes provided by the factory then ‘hot rodded’ by talented American engineers to be competitive.
However, back then, these racing engines had a couple of major issues that neither Honda nor the American Honda Motors (AHM) builders of these hot rods were able to solve during their racing life. With these engines, racers and engine builders very quickly found out the hard way that when the engine was revved to more than 10,500 rpm, it would almost immediately break the long A cam chain that runs from the crankshaft to the exhaust cam.
Tech specs
• WEIGHT: including oil and 5 litres of fuel ready to race: 171kg
• POWER: 180+ rear wheel horsepower (yep, over 200 at the crankshaft).
• ENGINE CAPACITY: 1188cc
• Vince & Hyde Super headValve train weight is 50% of OEM.
• Crane cams.
• Custom high compression, slipper type pistons and low friction rings
• Titanium conrods.
• Lightened and polished crankshaft.
• Honda RSC close ratio gearbox fitted with ceramic bearings.
• Honda RSC dry sump oiling system and oil cooler. Includes reverse oiling of the gearbox.
• Honda RSC 4 into 1 exhaust header pipes with titanium intermediate pipe and muffler
• Ignition: Link G4 ECU, high energy coil over plug, one coil per cylinder.
• Electronic package includes Lambda, crank position, cam position, throttle position, and rear wheel speed sensors.
CHASSIS
• Restored Bol d’Or frame with steering head moved 25mm rearwards, 50/50 weight balance.
• Jes Built aluminium AHM replica swing-arm and Ohlin shocks
• Genuine period AHM Superbike 41.3mm forks fitted with anti-dive, external compression and rebound damping adjustments (made from billet and only 5 sets were ever manufactured).
• Genuine AHM billet triple clamps.
• Genuine period correct Nissin twin piston brakes and floating discs.
• Dymag magnesium wheels fitted with ceramic bearings.
• Metzeler K1 Slicks
• Genuine AHM aluminium fuel tank - used by Freddie Spencer (3kg versus stock steel tank at 6kg).
• Titanium axles, swing-arm bolt, steering stem and all engine
CLASSIC RACER
The other major issue was the cylinder head design. This design had the carburettors squeezed tightly together and the inlet ports for the first and fourth cylinders angled in towards the centre line of the bike to keep the ‘rack’ of carburettors as slim as possible. That worked fine for a road bike, but in racing applications, this prevented the cylinder head from breathing efficiently at higher rpm, limiting top-end power.
Like those many tuners of the Honda engines who had gone before
them, Vince & Hyde Racing also very quickly ran into the problem with the breaking of the A cam chains and the resulting engine damage. Brent says that during the decade and more they have spent developing this bike and searching for a solution, they would have broken so many cam chains they have lost count and in turn have stripped and rebuilt the engine at least 300 times.
It got to the point where, among other competitors, the Vince &
Hyde Racing bike was considered fast, but very unreliable and unlikely to finish, so it was never seen as a real threat.
NEW THINKING NEEDED
With boxes of broken and damaged cylinder heads building up in the workshop and a rapidly shrinking race budget, it was clearly time to think outside the box for a solution. After looking carefully at some modern motorcycle engines where 16,000rpm red lines are considered
normal, and how the cam chains in those engines are controlled, Vince and Brent decided it was worth trying to adapt some of that technology as a possible solution.
Brent had a hunch the problem was being caused by a combination of the length of the A cam chain and the frequency of the harmonics occurring on the chain on the ‘loaded’ front side of the chain (as the crankshaft rotation pulls the chain down off the front of the exhaust camshaft sprocket).
The thinking was the frequency and effect of this chain stressing harmonics increased as engine rpm climbed.
This was causing the chain to try and ‘climb’ up and off the sprocket teeth, dramatically stressing the chain and causing the all too familiar catastrophic failure.
With these harmonics in mind, Vince researched every Morse cam chain tensioning system possible and thought the Aprilia V4 engine had suitable componentry to work from. He tracked down his previous Matich Racing employer, Kris Matich, from Australia where Kris was the GM for Aprilia and they provided detailed photographs of the engine components. Then, using a dummy engine build with cardboard and plasticine, a shape was formed to better direct the cam chain.
From here a drawing was made and passed to another engineering friend specialising in industrial plastics with a plan to make some form of template. Soon, Vince & Hyde racing had two prototype cam chain guides.
While this was going on, people around the world on Internet forums that Brent contributed to were eagerly watching and waiting to see
how this development unfolded.
Much to Brent’s surprise, they were also wondering, if it were successful, whether it would be for sale.
The combination of the custom guide and tensioner for the A chain and use of the correct heavy duty cam chain enabled the bike to spend a whole racing season with the rpm limit set to 11,000.
During each teardown for inspection throughout the season, the new bits looked like new and were never replaced during the whole season. Since then, Vince & Hyde Racing has sold some 500 sets to racers and road riders alike.
This has funded further development and racing of the Superbike, so it has been very much a win win situation for the team and the customers.
BREATHE, BABY, BREATHE! ENTER THE “SUPER HEAD”…
Despite having procured a genuine Honda AHM cylinder head, originally produced by Vance and Hines from the USA, and used it to good effect for one season, Brent felt there was still more power to be had from the engine. If he could just come up with a way to remove the angled inlet ports in a way that also kept it compliant with the Rule Book for the Period 5 Pre ’82 Classic Motorcycle racing class, this would allow the engine to breathe more effectively and develop more power across the board, but especially at high rpm.
For several years, Brent had contributed to the CB1100F.net forum and through this had met Ivan Zanzani, from Pesaro in Italy. What they have come up with is both a simple, at least
CLASSIC
on the surface, and extremely elegant solution to the problem.
Through the use of four custom CNC machined manifolds and removal of material from the cylinder head, they have been able to alter the inlet ports so there is now a straight path directly from the edge of the inlet port right down to the heads of the inlet valves. There is also a slight downdraft effect as the carburettors also sit slightly higher on the cylinder head.
The first outing of the bike fitted with the new Super Head demonstrated the bike was developing much more power and sounding crisper and sharper. Several of these Super Heads have now been made and delivered to customers overseas and considerable interest
and excitement was shown at Spa by many Honda engine builders who stopped by to look at the bike and inspect the Super Head the team had on display.
OUR SPA EXPERIENCE
“For a bunch of 60-year-old plus guys from New Zealand who have shared a lifelong passion for tuning and racing these old Hondas, the idea of competing on the world stage at the internationally famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was an enormous step. But after a successful first outing with the new Super Head in late 2014, and another at the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed held at Sydney Motorsport Park in Australia, the team decided it was time to bite the bullet and make the
journey to see whether or not the bike really would be competitive against the best in Europe.
The organisers operate to different machine specifications for their CSBK series. They operate three classes in the one race: Vintage is similar to NZ Post Classic specs but uses original diameter wheels; AMA Legends is the class in which they raced, with bikini fairings allowed; and Open Extreme.
The last two classes are allowed late model USD forks, radial brake calipers, 6.0” rear wheels and flat slide carburettors. And the Open Extreme class has engines out to 1400+cc!”
Friday’s race day dawned unseasonably hot but Vince qualified very well at 2:51.5, which placed
him second in the AMA Legends class behind Malte Schröder and seventh position overall – remember, there are 70 bikes on the grid!
Vince finished fifth overall and second in class, with his fastest lap time being 2:48.4, shaving more than three seconds off his qualifying time. After downloading the data from the ECU on the bike after the race, it was clear all the vital signs were well within limits despite the extremely high ambient temperature and long periods of time spent flatout on the 7km circuit.
An unexpected surprise came later that afternoon when was Vince awarded a trophy for coming second in the AMA Legends class. What was also very special for Brent and Vince was to see that around 90 per cent of the DOHC Honda four engines being raced had
been fitted with the Vince & Hyde Racing curved guide and cam chain tensioner. Even better, there were no failures reported from any of these competitors with these parts.
Sunday dawned with cooler temperatures and an early morning shower had dampened the track, so wet tyres were made ready, considered briefly, but put aside –and the slicks stayed on. The track was drying very quickly.
“Vince started seventh on the grid and went screaming past on the first lap on the entry to the famous Eau Rouge corner in fourth outright position. The second lap saw him closing rapidly on third and leading the AMA Legends class, but unfortunately the bike developed a gearbox problem and he was unable to complete the race.
Despite the DNF, they were
extremely pleased with the results. Their journey to Circuit de SpaFrancorchamps and the experience over the three days of the Bikers Classic event, including two rounds of the German CSBK Masters Series, has to be one of the greatest motorcycle racing experiences of their lives. To come all the way from the other side of the world and for the Vince and Hyde Racing Superbike to be so very competitive against the best of the Europeans, quite literally right out of the crate, has been a dream come true for the whole team. They were made to feel extremely welcome by everyone they met and have been truly humbled by the generosity and hospitality received.
“Of course, the difficult question now is how do we get back for next year?” D
WORDS PICKO ︱ PHOTOS MOTO MORINI
MOTO MORINI’S BIG TWINS had it all, except enough buyers to make the marque last.
In 2006 the big news in the motorcycle industry was the rebirth of this fabled Italian motorcycle manufacturer.
Tales of big capacity V-twin motorcycles had us journos begging for more. PS Importers, who at the time were the importers for a number of major brands, including Triumph and Hyosung, looked at taking on the renewed Moto Morini brand, and had a bike to evaluate. In the end, the PS Importers dynasty decided to leave well enough alone, a smart decision as it turned out, so the ball was picked up Stoney Creek Power Sports, a niche motorcycle company based in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Stoney Creek Power Sports had started by importing weirdo sorts of machines, in reasonably small numbers. They were never going to take on the might of the big players, and then the Moto Morini thing happened. To be fair there was more than enough interest in the motorcycling press to make the company think importing Moto Morinis was going to be a financial windfall for them. They even took on Benelli.
EARLY SPARKS
The first test rides of the 9 1/2 naked Moto Morini went well, despite the bike having a slightly weird riding position. It felt raw but had good power, loads of street cred and looked fantastic, with what you might call a modern retro sport of style.
Sales were going okay by 2007 but weren’t setting the world on fire. Then came the Corsaro, the 1200cc liquid cooled V-twin naked bike. Around the same time you could get the limited edition Corsaro Veloce, basically a specced up standard Corsaro and then in 2008 the adventure sports Granpasso was released, and even a scrambler. By then though, the company was in trouble, and the flow on effect was to also catch out Stoney Creek Power Sports, who went into liquidation that same year.
Plenty of Moto Morinis sat unsold on showroom floors as the Global Financial Crisis hit and Moto Morini itself was in dire straits.
Then dealers started selling them off cheap, and the liquidators auctioned off the remaining bikes from the importer as well as a few Benellis. People got bargains, buying bikes for around half their new price.
At the time I thought it would be great to buy one but of course didn’t have the financial
The Corsaro Veloce remains to this day one of the most exciting bikes I’ve ever ridden.
wherewithal to fund that dream. Plus, it has to be said, there was the spectre of parts back up from an almost non-existent company.
Such a shame.
What the whole GFC and Moto Morini going broke thing did was deprive us of more great Moto Morini models in the future. Yes, they were a little on the unrefined side but the Corsaro Veloce remains to this day one of the most exciting bikes I’ve ever ridden. I had it for a couple of weeks, did lots of kilometres and I would have owned one in a heartbeat if I could have afforded it.
And what wasn’t to love? The styling was cool, but then I like naked bikes in general, it had around 140 horsepower and a fair chunk of torque as well. It handled fantastically, and the sit up riding position made for easy bend carving.
With the importer going broke in Australia and no-one prepared to take the brand on while the parent company was struggling big time, new ones were still being built right up until 2010. Then came a lull for a couple of years, and in 2012 Moto Morini started getting revamped older models out the door. There’s even a new Granpasso out which looks the business. But this is all overseas, you can’t buy them in Australia.
WHAT’S THE ISSUES
Overall, Moto Morini’s engineering has proven to be sound. Like some Italian bikes of this era, the electronics can be troublesome, especially in the fuelling department. A close friend of mine is a Ducati specialist and I am a constant visitor to his emporium of Desmodromics. Around 18 months ago I saw a silver Moto Morini Corsaro awaiting his attention. He had told me the bike was bought
from a now defunct Hunter Valley dealer during the liquidation sale and was there to have a few minor things done, including a tendency to flame out when hot. That’s nice, I said, and went on my merry way. Fast forward 18 months and I again saw the tail of the Corsaro hiding out the back under a blanket. “Is this bike back,” I asked. “It never left,” was the reply. It seemed the ‘cutting out when hot’ problem had never been solved, and the owner
had lost interest in the bike, failing to ever come and pick it up despite requests to do so. In a weak moment I got the owner’s details and offered him a price to take the unloved Morini off his hands.
A NEW OWNER
A fresh battery and some fresh fuel had the bike start pretty much right up after 12 months of sitting. It has one of those starter systems that keeps turning the engine after you have taken your thumb off the starter button. It works ok but I’ve never liked them.
I serviced the bike and fitted a new oil filter, which are like hen’s teeth apparently, and started riding it. In standard form the fuelling was fine but in the box of bits I got was a Power Commander. Obviously, that had been on the bike at some stage but then removed. Why? And then on my first ride in traffic the bike started to cut out when it was at operating temperature. It would always fire straight back up but it happened enough to be a pain, and so began a journey with another very well-regarded motorcycle repair shop. It turns out they had worked on the bike in the past, and its history was littered with attempts to fix this fault. It also turns out it’s a relatively common problem on this era of Morinis. My bike at some stage had a Termignoni exhaust and a race ECU fitted. Many different maps have been installed into the ECU but none have really worked all that well. I can’t complain about the shop’s work ethic on my bike, that’s for sure.
The next step is probably to fit an exhaust and see if that works with the race ECU. If it doesn’t that’s ok, most of my riding is done in the country, not stop start stuff. It won’t stop me from enjoying the bike. The first time I rode it, it brought back the memories of why I loved them so much when they were new. It’s an easy bike to ride quickly, and it’s something you will not see on the road very often.
Parts backup is reasonably good via overseas suppliers, and there are forum groups to keep you in the loop. These bikes are worth checking out if you get the chance. Because they were sold in limited numbers, they are a bit of a collectors’ item now, quite an eclectic one. D
A MASH-UP FROM FRANCE
Un sidecar tres lourd
THERE IS A NEW factory three wheeler on the market, challenging the monopoly that Ural has enjoyed for far too long. The newcomer is the Mash Side Force, a military-look outfit based on the MASH 400cc single cylinder Force bike. If it does nothing but get the Irbitzers to bring their prices back down to something more reasonable, it will have done a good job.
But there is a problem. According to the best information I can dredge up (the MASH specs page), the Side Force weighs in at 342 kilos. That is ten kilos or so more than a Ural.
A French friend of mine used to tell me about the way his father would stymie the tax man by taking gold bars, hidden on the floor of his car, into Switzerland to deposit them in a secret account. Can we have something similar happening here? Surely not. For a start, they’d take the gold bars out before pre-delivery. But why would
a modern 400cc single matched to a freshly-designed sidecar (admittedly one made of steel) weigh more than the antiquated Ural design? Je ne sais pas, mon ami, je ne sais pas. While we’re on the subject of the French, if they insist on using English names will someone please help them to come up with something more evocative?
Maybe the Hot Lips Hoolihan?
In May 2020, Mash first presented the Desert Force 400, a singlecylinder model with an army look and a 13 litre fuel tank. For the 2021 season, it is available with this sidecar which is made of steel and at least partly explains the weight. It offers a watertight lockable trunk carrying a spare wheel..
To allow the bike to cope with the higher demands of sidecar operation, an additional oil cooler has been fitted in front of the engine. A reverse gear has been added to the five-speed transmission. An adjustable steering
damper provides reassurance over poor surfaces. Eighteen-inch wheels, 4.60-18 on the front and the sidecar and 5.10-18 on the rear with an extended swingarm, each have their own disc brake.
The 445cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine is based on a much-copied Honda powerplant and produces 28.6hp as against the Ural’s 32hp, which does not augur well for anyone expecting high-speed running. On the other hand, the Mash outfit is priced at 10,999 Euros, less than two thirds the price of the cheapest Ural.
Bad news if you’re interested in a Side-Force; there is no Mash importer for Australia as far as I can tell. Anyone interested? They have quite a reasonable range of bikes. See mashmotors.fr .D PT
T R A V E L
HE’S AT IT AGAIN Beetleing along
WORDS POSSUM PHOTOS BEETLE BAYLEY
INTREPID ADVENTURER
BEETLE BAYLEY is at it again.
Following his fundraiser for the Guide Dogs, where he retraced the steps of Winifred Wells and her 1950/51 trip from Perth to Sydney and return, he has decided to follow Winifred again.
Two years after her heroic transcontinental trip on the mighty 350 Royal Enfield Bullet, Winifred launched again from Perth - this time with her father along for the ride - and circumnavigated Australia in a clockwise direction, starting and finishing in Perth.
For this trip she used a new 350 Bullet and father was relegated to the Perth-Sydney-Perth machine. By all accounts this trip was at a more relaxed pace than the 21-day solo dash undertaken two years earlier.
Beetle has had the recreation of Winifred's circumnavigation in mind since he embarked on the Perth Sydney Perth trip. Initially he was going to just do it because he could, with no fanfare. It was to be something of a tribute to Winifred who had sadly
died in Mornington Vic. in early 2020.
However, always with an eye for a good cause, Beet has picked up support from the Children's Leukemia & Cancer Foundation (Inc.), so the next big ride will be a fundraiser for that worthy cause.
In keeping with the spirit of Winifred, Beetle will be riding the 350 Classic 2016 model he used on the Perth Sydney Perth ride - unless Royal Enfield comes along with an offer of the new 350 Meteor (we all live in hope).
Beetle plans to launch from the Union Hotel in Tangambalanga (not far from Albury/Wodonga) in September 2021 and take 40 days to complete the journey in a clockwise direction.
As with the previous ride, all funds raised will go to the Children's Leukemia & Cancer Foundation, https:// childcancerresearch.com.au/
how-you-can-help/make-a-donation/ and costs associated with the trip will come out of Beetles own pocket. He will also be carrying a Spot Tracker that you can follow 24/7.
If you are interested in making a donation, or offering a night’s accommodation, or a tyre or just a cold drink along the way, you can contact Beetle ( beatbay3@gmail.com/ phone or txt 0458294271) D
SUBSCRIBE THIS MONTH AND WIN
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.
NO WAY!
Hi Stuart, I read with interest about that CB750 race bike. How about the machining on the barrel! Did you see how much material they took out of that thing! As you called it, “insane’! Cheers, Ian
THE HOARDER?
Stuart, Bear et al, Happy to have just updated my subscription for another 2 years. I actually have all 98 editions of your magazine and enjoy the read from cover to cover. Does this make me
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Ma hoarder? I also have 3 magnificent 2-wheel machines in my garage. All registered but none ridden very much these days. But that’s another story - I do aim to change that sometime soon. Looking forward to Edition 100 and many more. Keep up the good work. Cheers,David – CQ
Thank you, mate. Cheers, Stuart.
BOOFHEAD
Well... Stuart,
I thought your magazine was top class until I saw Boofhead’s contribution
ARC IS THE WINNER of our new letter of the month prize from the great folk at Motul. He’s gone crazy for the crazy chickens… enjoy cleaning your chain, mate. Send me your mailing address.
GONE CRAZY!
Lads!
How bloody good was that Pub of the Month in the last issue (#98). The crazy chicken racing has got me hooked. I’m going there to get amongst it. Ben who runs the joint sounds like a top bloke too. I’ll be seeing him soon and putting my money on the green chook! Green eggs and ham, anyone. Hahaha! Maybe you guys should hold a Motorcyclist gathering there and we call the chickens names of bikes and then we can really see which bike the fastest. Ha! Great stuff, love this magazine.
Cheers, Marc NSW
on p114 January ‘21 edition. What a pathetic piece, so juvenile, so unbecoming of a classy publication.
I do hope we see better in future editions but it won’t be likely from Boofhead Boris.
Otherwise, congratulations on a great publication.
Cheers,Richard
Hi Richard, I have spoken to him and the last couple of issues have been much better from him.
Cheers, Stuart
WHEELS UP
Stuart,
The cover picture on issue 98 was a cracker. I sat and stared at it for quite a while. Love the snake of the road in the background too. Keep up the great work and roll-on issue 100!
Regards, Jim
Hi Jim,
I actually got in trouble from Kawasaki for that shot, as it’s not in their policy for activities like this on the street. But of course, it was shot on a private road in a secret location.
Cheers, Stuart.
to improve my biceps
to improve my biceps
to improve my biceps
Hi Harry,
GOODLY
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.
Braidwood. Purpose to ride, have a social get together and have some food whilst out. Now, no such trips.
OLD BIKES…NEW BIKES
Hi Stuart,
Hi 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
COVID 1
Dear Stuart,
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).
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.
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).
Firstly, great mag, love it each month. The Kawasaki Versys 1000 S you reviewed in the last issue (97) was great. I was looking at the electronic suspension version last year but you have just sold me on this new model. Not only is it cheaper, which is great for keeping things happy with the “boss”, but as you mentioned you’d be hard pressed to really notice the difference between the two. I like the grey paintwork as well, let’s see how the “Highly Durable Paint” goes in real life.
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.
Regards, Mark, QLD
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.
GREAT STUFF
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
I have just read your latest editorial about the newer bikes on offer. I have several bikes in the shed, none come close to the latest offerings, one is close to 40 years old, an ‘84 GPz 750R. When I started riding in the early ‘70’s 40-year-old bikes were positively ancient, little more than super-sized push bikes. My old 750 is not much different to the current breed if you ignore the electrickery. Bike development from inception to the 1970’s was enormous, I think it has slowed considerably in the last 20 or 30 years. Development seems to be centred around electronics and gadgets not design or engineering. I do agree though, anything that makes riding safer and bikes more reliable has to be a good thing. As always, a great and entertaining read. Cheers, Peter Glasson.
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
Hi Peter, Yes, bikes have evolved massively from 40 years prior to say the early 80s
I haven’t enjoyed a bike mag like this since the old Two Wheels that as a kid I’d eagerly pedal my pushy to the newsagents for every month and read every page once I got it home. I love all bikes and respect anyone
Braidwood. Purpose to ride, have a social get together and have some food whilst out. Now, no such trips. 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!
Braidwood. Purpose to ride, have a social get together and have some food whilst out. Now, no such trips. 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!
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.
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.
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 Hugh,
Thanks for the kind words, although I don’t think the shiny paper would go too good as shit paper. LOL!
Cheers, Stuart.
BORIS
All the people dissing Boris “Get a Life”. Don’t read it, you know where it is. Last page! Ignore it!
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.
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
who shares the passion, regardless of their ability or choice of machine.
and machines will always progress faster from early days of invention. As for modern bikes, the focus on frame, suspension and braking technology is night and day compared to 80s bikes - I consider it similar to the way a bike of 40 years earlier would have handled and braked in comparison to an 80s model.
Yes, electronics do play a huge part now, but that is the same with just about everything.
So, I have subscribed, to most of the magazine, but thanks for the spare shit paper at the end :)
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 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
Hugh Jorgan
Let’s see where technology leads bike
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.
development in the next few years - no doubt more electronics, maybe even wings so we can fly around and avoid all the other clowns on the road! LOL!
Don’t ruin a top read because of one page, personally I love his column (even though I feel he has a firm grip on his nether region). Be a boring read if we succumb to the lowest common denominator.
Cheers, Stuart.
No name provided
BORIS 2
FIRST BIKE
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.
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 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
Hi Stuart, Your piece on new bikes etc got me thinking about my first bike I got as a learner. I had a BSA Bantam which wouldn’t have pulled the skin off a rice
I don’t always agree with what Boris has to say but I am well aware of how he writes to get a reaction. As for the couple of blokes that sent letters in the last issue, I think
I try to reduce my listening/reading/ watching to once or twice a day to keep up with developments - more than that is
WHAT SAY YOU
pudding. I laugh at how slow, how crap the brakes were and in general just how poor of a motorcycle that was compared to anything on offer for learners nowadays. They have it so good.
I did have another idea, what about everyone write in and tell us what was their first bike. What do you think? Cheers, Paul QLD
Hi Paul,
My first bike was a Yamaha XT250 –cracker of a motorcycle. I like your idea of everyone telling us what their first bike was. So, everyone, tell us what your first bike was and a tiny bit about it, maybe you’ve even still got that first bike in the garage! Send your laughs into contactus@ ausmotorcyclist.com.au
DAMN
Gents,
Obviously, the New Zealand tour isn’t going ahead, although at the time of me writing this to you the discussion is that there will be a bubble open up between us and NZ. I would really like to support the guys at Paradise, is there something else in the pipeline later in the year? I really hope so as I’d love to
get there and ride.
And the Morocco tour I see you’ve now got. Do you reckon this will come off? I don’t see how Aussie’s will be travelling to places like that this year? Kind regards, Mick
Hi Mick, We are working on organising something with Paradise for later in the year, once the winter season is over.
TOUR OPERATOR DIRECTORY
ADRIATIC MOTO TOURS – Europe www.adriaticmototours.com info@adriaticmototours.com
CENTRAL OTAGO
MOTORCYCLE HIRE AND TOURS – New Zealand www.comotorcyclehire.co.nz info@comotorcyclehire.co.nz
IMTBIKE TOURS & RENTALS – Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Europe and Thailand www.imtbike.com tours@imtbike.com
Paradise is also offering self-guided tours before the snow hits, but you’d have to be quick – providing the travel bubble opens up.
We hold our hopes high that the world changes, but Edelweiss isn’t in this for the short term, they are keen to hold a magazine tour every year from now on. Whether this year’s tour goes ahead or not, we can only wait and see. Cheers, Stuart.
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
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:
MAGIC MOTORCYCLING
– Thailand and Croatia www.magicmotorcycling.com tour@magicmotorcycling.com
TOURS – Europe www.romaniamotorcycletours.com office@romaniamotorcycletours.com
SOUTH PACIFIC MOTORCYCLE TOURS – New Zealand www.motorbiketours.co.nz office@motorbiketours.co.nz
TEWAIPOUNAMU MOTORCYCLE TOURS – New Zealand www.motorcycle-hire.co.nz nzbike@motorcycle-hire.co.nz
WORLD ON WHEELS
– Europe, Iceland, South America, India, Asia, Mexico, Africa & Himalaya www.worldonwheels.tours Adventure@WorldOnWheels.Tours
ROMANIA MOTORCYCLE
N E W B I K E P R I C E S
ADV SPORT
S 1000 XR
ost prices exclude dealer and on road costs and some are ride away prices – ask your local dealer for the best possible price!
APRILIA
www.aprilia.com.au
ROAD
Shiver 900 ABS
Dorsoduro 900 ABS
Tuono V4 1100 RR
Tuono V4 1100 Factory
SCOOTERS
SR MT 125
Scarabeo
BENELLI
www.benelli.com.au
BMW www.bmwmotorrad.com.au
ROAD
G
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 1250 R $22,540
R 1250
K 1600 B
K 1600 GT
K 1600 GT Sport
K 1600 GTL $37,990
K 1600 GTL Elegance $40,490
S 1000 XR Carbon Sport
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
$22,190
$29,290
$8090
$13,590
$17,305
$13,840
$17,005
$17,990
$18,390
F 850 GS Rallye X $22,305
F 850 GS Tour
$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
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
ROAD
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
Panigale 959 White
Panigale 959 Corse
DUCATI
www.ducati.com.au
*All Ducati prices are ride away ROAD
Scrambler Sixty2 $13,490
Scrambler Icon $13,990
Scrambler Full Throttle $17,540
Scrambler Café Racer $18,990
Scrambler Desert Sled $19,290
Scrambler 1100 $16,990
Scrambler 1100 Special $18,990
Scrambler
NEW BIKE PRICES
Chief Dark Horse
$28,995
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
HONDA
www.honda.com.au ROAD
HUSQVARNA
www.indianmotorcycles.com.au
au
*All Indian Motorcycle prices are ride away
$35,995
$36,995
$40,995
$49,995
$4090
Z400 $6799
Ninja 400 $6899
Ninja 400 SE $7149
Z650L
Ninja 650/L Grey
Ninja 650/L Black
Ninja ZX-6R 636 KRT
W800 Café
W800 Street
Z900
Z900RS
Ninja 1000 SX
Ninja 1000 SX SE
ZX-10R $26,000
ZX-10RR $42,000
ZX-14R
S
S SE
S Café
Vulcan 900 Classic
Vulcan 900 Custom
PEUGEOT
www.peugeotmotorcycles.com.au
*All Peugeot prices are ride away
SCOOTER
Tweet 125
$3590
Tweet 125 Pro $3690
Django 150 $4790
Belville 200 RS $5290
Metropolis 400 $13,490
ROYAL ENFIELD
www.royalenfieldaustralia.com
*All Royal Enfield prices are ride away ROAD
Meteor 350 Fireball
$6540
Meteor 350 Stellar $6840
Meteor 350 Supernova $7240
Bullet 500 $7890
Classic 500 $8190
Classic 500 Chrome $8390
Interceptor 650 Classic $8640
Interceptor 650 Custom $8840
Interceptor 650 Chrome $9140
Continental GT 650 Classic $8840
Continental GT 650 Custom $9040
Continental GT 650 Chrome $9340 ADV TOURING
Himalayan 410 $6540
SUPER SOCO
www.supersoco.com.au
*All Super Soco prices are ride away ROAD
TC Café Racer
$4990
TC Max alloy wheel $6990
TC Max wire wheel $7290
SCOOTER
CUX
$4490
CUX Special Edition Ducati $4990
SUZUKI
www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au
ROAD
GSX-S125 $3490
GSX-R125 $4490
DR-Z400SM $9390
GSX-R600 $14,990
SV650 $8990
SV650 LAMS $9190
GSX-S750 $11,790
GSX-R750 $15,990
GSX-S1000 $15,190
GSX-S1000F $16,290
GSX-S1000 Katana $17,490
GSX-R1000 $21,990
GSX-R1000R $25,490
GSX1300R Hayabusa $19,490
CRUISER
Boulevard S40 $7990
Boulevard C50T $11,190
Boulevard M109R $19,790 ADV TOURING
V-Strom
SCOOTER
Address
SWM
www.swmmotorcycles.com.au
ROAD
Gran Turismo
Silver Vase 440
Gran Milano 440
SM 500 R
SM 650 R
ADV TOURING
Superdual
TRIUMPH
www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
*All Triumph prices are ride away
ROAD
$2820
$7490
$7490
$7990
$8990
$9490
$9990
Street Triple S 660 $14,900
Street Triple RS
Street Twin
Street Scrambler $17,990
Bonneville T100 $17,300
Bonneville T100 Black $17,300
Bobber $20,590
Bonneville Bobber Black $22,100
Bonneville T120 $19,990
Bonneville T120 Black $19,990
Thruxton $21,100
Thruxton R $23,990
Thruxton RS $25,390
Speed Twin $20,350
Daytona Moto2 765
Tiger Sport
Speed Triple RS
CRUISER Rocket 3 R
3 GT
ADV TOURING
Scrambler 1200 XC $22,500
Scrambler 1200 XE
Tiger 900 GT & GT Low
Tiger 900 Rally
Tiger 900 GT Pro
Tiger 900 Rally Pro
Tiger 1200 XRx
Tiger 1200 XCx
Tiger 1200 XRt
Tiger 1200 XCa
TRIUMPH FACTORY CUSTOM (TFC)
www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au *All TFC prices are ride away
TFC
TFC
3
B E A R T A L E S
THE FOOD IS BETTER AT THE ROYAL
IHAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA
why that sentence seemed like a good title for a story. But I heard it a couple of times from different people in Guyra, and it just stuck in my mind.
I can hear you wondering what this is all about, so listen very carefully. I shall say zis ernly wernce.
SPOT, the Senior Persons’ Occasional Tourers, was on a ride to the north of NSW. Among other places, we were due to take in the Oxley Highway and some other New England roads, staying at various small towns and eventually returning via Willow Tree. The northernmost point of our travels was to be Guyra, not far past Armidale.
All went pretty well. The scenery, so brown just a little while before then, was exuberantly green after mild rains, and even the trees so recently scorched by bushfires were putting on their best clothing with leaves running up their trunks in the absence of burntoff branches. What an amazing place Australia is.
We got to our first overnight stop in Wingham, where we were staying at the Wingham Motel, had an enjoyable dinner at the pleasant pub and slept the sleep of the righteous. In my case, of the mechanically augmented righteous. I have recently acquired a sleep apnea machine, which means that I dress up with a muzzle like Hannibal Lecter before activating a slurping vacuum gadget which, against all expectations, actually helps me to sleep.
It cannot be said to do the same thing for my roommates.
The morning provided a highlight in that one of our intrepid band could not find his bike keys. We diligently searched everywhere. I even wandered over to the pub, which the cleaner
opened for me so I could check the floor of the dining room. Nothing there, or anywhere. The keys were on the same ring as the top box key, but the top box was locked so there was no chance they would be in there. Or was there?
It developed that this particular brand of motorcycle luggage could snap shut and lock without the key. Since it now seemed likely that the keys were in the topbox, violence was applied to the lock to get it to open. Screwdrivers, spanners and even tyre levers were helpless against the lock. Finally we secured the topbox to the back of another SPOT and, in the absence of a locksmith in Wingham, despatched him to Taree.
a respectful stop at the still-closed Gingers Creek where the Frog and I once spent a hilarious night depleting the stock of red wine, we reached Walcha.
His phone calls were anticipated with all the rapt concentration of the latest updates from the Ever Stuck, or whatever that monstrous ship in the Suez Canal is called. First call: yes, there is a locksmith’s as the phone had assured us, and yes it is open. But the locksmith is not in yet. He is expected momentarily. Second call: he has opened the top box! The SPOT is instructed to rummage though it. Third call: no keys are obvious. He is instructed to check not-so-obvious places. Fourth call: he has found the keys! He returns in triumph, while the original SPOT swears to change his brand of topbox.
Continuing north we headed up the Oxley Highway, and I discovered just how much fun a Versys 650L can be in tight twisties. Despite the L, signifying LAMS legality, the bike proved to be an excellent steed when getting away from other SPOTS on markedly more powerful but also bulkier bikes. I have not had so much fun since I last had so much fun, quite a while back. After
I know Walcha pretty well. Not only have I stopped there more than once, but we even had a Bear Army manoeuvre there based at the Royal. For some reason, this time I simply did not recognise the place. That was probably just a matter of turning off the Oxley at a different corner, but I found it deeply disturbing. I did recognize the road out.
But I see I’m running out of space. Let me just summarise the next couple of days by saying that the New England Highway in Guyra was eerily quiet outside our motel, the Shiralee. The Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum in Tamworth was as good as always. Hello, John! The Willow Tree Inn was expensive but worth every penny, both for the accommodation – strangely, across the road – and for the food.
Just to make it clear that Australia is not like other places, we did all of this in bright sunshine, just a few days before that appalling rain and flooding that enveloped NSW. I watched TV with a shudder of empathy as places like Gloucester where I had recently eaten, slept or just ridden disappeared under the muddy water.
I hope the Royal in Guyra is okay; the food really was good. D
WORDS BORIS MIHAILOVIC
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THEM?
JUST BETWEEN US OLDER
gentlemen – since it’s a fair bet no-one under the age of 500 even reads magazines anymore – I reckon the vast majority of younger riders are sissy bitches.
One only has to look at the social media feeds of any ride group to be convinced of this fact.
I spend a fair bit of time on social media – since it is my way to market. As a result, I see all sorts of terrifying and shameful things posted by young riders. Once, I sought to engage with them, to shine a light into the dim recesses of their miserable “I just got a bike” lives. That did not go down well.
Now I just point and laugh at them, because they nauseate me and are worthy of nothing but my contempt. Happily, their time on bikes will be brutally short and painful.
There are many causal factors at play here. It is a perfect storm – and it is creating an entire generation of worthless, terrified riders, obsessed with safety to the exclusion of all else, unwilling to ride in the rain, in the wind, on the dirt, or even out of the city they live in.
What they’re afraid of I have no idea.
But they are certainly afraid.
And frightened people have no business being on a motorcycle, ever. If riding a bike constantly terrifies you, and renders you unsure to the point of helplessness, then the best thing you can do is fall off and break some of your stuff, sell your bike from your hospital bed, and buy a car.
Now before all you old farts start bleating about how important safety is, and how crucial wearing all the right gear is, and how utterly vital it is that we all encourage these young people by chewing their food for them, just stop. In fact, stop, and piss off as well.
Did you take up riding bikes
because it was safe? Do you think wearing all the “right” gear will stop you from crashing or prevent the crush-injuries you’re gonna get as a result? Do you honestly think pandering to the trembling fawns bumbling about on their LAMs bikes is helping them?
This is a bloodsport, girls.
You pay for your errors in blood, and bone, and cartilage. And sometimes, if it goes particularly poorly, you pay for it with your life.
That’s how it is.
And that is why it is the greatest thing you can ever do with yourself. Buy the ticket, take the ride. But don’t, by all that is holy, try and denature or pasteurise what motorcycling is, damn your wretched, rheumy eyes. Shut your denture-filled mouth about “safety”, and tell it like it is.
Tell the kids to ride all the time. In all conditions. On all road-surfaces. Tell them to improve their riding skills constantly. Tell them never to become complacent. Tell them to be always on their A-game. Tell them to stop going on horrifying group rides where they learn nothing because everyone on it is just as useless as they are. Tell them to stop posting their shameful mewlings on public forums. Tell them to stop whining and bleating like sheep. All that does is attract wolves.
And stop saying things like “Ride Safe”.
It’s “Ride well”, you doddering old turd.
Happily, it’s unlikely any young people will come in contact with you old people. Most of you are just as bad as the young fools. You just have less of an excuse for being a safetynanna. You’ve just got scared in your old age, haven’t you?
It’s not like you were raised in a risk-averse society, is it? Unless you’re
one of those late-adapters, or worse, one of those sad twats who stopped riding for two decades because the creature you married insisted you sell your bike so she could have a new kitchen, then you started riding when riding filled your soul with screaming, incandescent joy.
You couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t ride. How could anyone NOT want to feel like this? You burned with the desire to ride –you literally flamed from within. And you rode everywhere all the time –and your skill-set grew, didn’t it?
You chased better riders. You learned from your mistakes. You thrived and you prospered as a motorcyclist. I’ll bet you even sorta welcomed the push to make motorcycling “more accessible”, didn’t you?
I did. Dumbest thing I ever done in a cavalcade of dumb shit I have done.
The moment we made riding less special, is the moment we allowed the current crop of terrified teenaged dickheads to call themselves “riders”.
And they’re not that.
They’re just flogs with bikes –which they will soon crash, and then spend the rest of their lives telling every clown who cares to listen how dangerous bikes are.
And that’s the only thing they will ever be right about. D
