Shannons are giving motoring enthusiasts the chance to win the American Dream Team – a 1967 Ford Mustang Coupe and the all new 2022 Scout Rogue Indian Motorcycle! Including up to 12-months Shannons Comprehensive Car and Bike Insurance and Shannons Roadside Assist1. Plus $5,000 cash for eligible Shannons Club Members2 . Born in the USA and entrenched in American motoring history, the Mustang is both stylish and sporty – the original ‘Pony Car’. The car on offer is sympathetically restored and in the original left-hand drive configuration.Finished in Dark Highland Green with matching green upholstery and powered by a V8 engine with an automatic transmission. This new Scout Rogue is a lean, mean cruiser with barely tamed power that demands attention. The modern style features a sport style seat, mini ape hanger handlebars, distinct quarter fairing and a 19” front wheel. The liquid-cooled, 1133cc, 70kW V-twin delivers punchy acceleration. You could win up to $101,000 in prizes!
Authentic heritage meets modern technology for power, style, and the unadulterated riding experience –around town, on the freeway, or along country roads.
Powered by the Milwaukee-Eight™ 114 big twin engine. A powerful, smooth-running engine with crisp throttle response and a pure, soul-satisfying rumble.
The Fat Boy™ 114 is the original fat custom icon. It commands the road with a steamroller stance, fresh-for-2022 wheels and an all-you-can eat portion of sculpted bright chrome for even more impact.
H-D.com/Test Ride Book a test ride
BOOTS
Don’t grind them, protect them!
YAMAHA MT-10 SP
Are you man enough
ROYAL ENFIELD HUNTER 350
Picko heads to Bangkok for the world launch
HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOW RIDER ST
Stripped down and ready to race
ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411
The Himalayan strips its clothes off
PIRELLI DIABLO ROSSO IV CORSA
Talk about sticky!
THE JOURNEY OF LIFE IS BETTER IN BOOTS, MAKE SURE THEY’RE MOTORCYCLE BOOTS! –Stuart
Editor Stuart Woodbury
Contributing Editor J Peter Thoeming
Sales Manager Chris Pickett chris@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Designers FriendsLoveDesign.com
Photographers Nick Wood Creative, Half Light Photographic
Contributors Nick Edards, Robert Lovas, Boris Mihailovic, Ralph LeavseyMoase,The Possum, Colin Whelan, Nick Wood, Bob Wozga
Australian Motorcyclist magazine is published by Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. 17 Weeroona Place, Rouse Hill NSW 2155. Phone 0412220680
This publication is copyright. Other than for the purposes of research, study, criticism, review, parody or satire and subject to the conditions prescribed under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without the prior written permission of Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. Opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent those of Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted by Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd or the editor for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or advice contained in the text or advertisements. Readers should rely on their own enquiries in making decisions tailored to their own interest.
We encourage you to keep or recycle this magazine.
E D I T O R S P E A K S
TRIPPING
AS YOU’RE READING
THIS, I have just got off the plane after riding three of the highest motorable roads in the world with Royal Enfield as part of their Moto Himalaya experience. Three small groups from around the world took part. The three Aussies (which includes me) were Group 2, along with seven Indonesians. This has been one of my bucket list rides for such a long time I’m super happy to have completed it. The last bucket list trip I did was riding from Cairns to Cape York. I did that as part of the BMW GS Safari Enduro five years ago. The other bucket list trips I’ve done include New Zealand South Island, which I’ve now done a number of times and an adventure trip in the Victorian High Country which was always something I wanted to do and ticked off years ago.
The one trip I still want to do is ride the Road of Bones in Russia. Sure, this is virtually impossible at the moment due to the crazy Russian fighting, but the history behind the making of the road where some 250,000 people died making it, and their bodies are buried just below the surface kind of sounds a little morbid, but the challenge of making sure you’ve timed it right is what interests me. If you get your timing wrong the weather and the road can kill you as it gets colder than you think possible, or as hot as hot can be and the road turns to slush and will eat
you. If the mossies leave anything. Moto Himalaya started out of Leh, India and went up to 5500m (18,300ft) and I must tell you the altitude was a test of mind and body for most of the group. I’d always heard about altitude sickness and the weird things altitude can do to you, and you can prepare for it all you like, but you’ll never truly know how you’ll react until you’re faced with it. I was lucky and it didn’t affect me at all. I was puffed once after waddling like a duck in my motocross boots up a set of steep stairs at Khardungla Pass.
Luckily a Doctor was along on the ride as most of the participants needed oxygen or injections to battle the altitude. Before I left, my doctor told me to be well hydrated with water and that also means no alcohol a number of days beforehand, to only drink sealed bottled water and to take Panadol for any onset of feeling sick or a headache. He also prescribed me a sickness tablet in case of the dreaded, Delhi Belly – thankfully I didn’t get that either.
So, The Bear and I have now got back from riding overseas and the world is back to pre-pandemic life. I must ask, what are you waiting for, you only live once and why let a bit of a cold stop you (if you catch Covid that is), it doesn’t seem to bother the rest of the world.
Cheers, Stuart. D
The KLR650 motorcycle is built to empower your passion to escape and explore. Dual-purpose capability allows the journey to go on-and-off-road, and a reputation for enduring reliability helps you focus on the adventure at hand. For decades, this legendary motorcycle has inspired countless stories from all over the world, and the spirit to make new memories continues to beckon today.
KLR650 (Pearl Sand Khaki)
KLR650 Adventure (Cypher Camo Gray)
RAISING THE BAR
Suzuki’s raised the adventure bar yet again with a more diversified Suzuki V-STROM 1050 platform that includes – for the first time – a flagship model dedicated to maximising off-road performance with a 21-inch front wheel, switchable ABS and a special gravel traction control mode.
The two new-generation models are theV-STROM 1050 and the harderedgedV-STROM 1050DE, which will go on sale in Australia by March 2023. For customers who pre-order, there’s also a mouth-watering hard luggage bonus offer.TheV-STROM 1050 will be available in a single livery – Metallic Reflective Blue/Metallic Matt Black – and retail for $22,990 ride away.While there’s a choice of three two-tone liveries on theV-STROM 1050DE – Champion Yellow/Metallic Matt Sword Silver, Pearl Vigor Blue/Pearl Brilliant White or Glass Sparkle Black/Metallic Matt Black – and the premium model will go on sale for $24,690 ride away.
With its 19-inch (front) and 17-inch cast-aluminium wheels and heightadjustable seat and screen, theV-STROM 1050 is aimed at the adventure-touring
GET A FREE CUPPA
To reduce the risk of driver/ rider fatigue on NSW roads, participating businesses are donating a free cuppa to drivers/ riders travelling through regional NSW between 1 March and 31 May each year.These businesses
segment by maximising comfort and performance over long distances, while the ‘tougher’V-STROM 1050DE goes further with a set of distinctive features aimed specifically at enhancing off-road capability.
In addition to the 21-inch front wirespoked wheel, Gravel traction control mode and the means to switch off ABS at the rear, theV-STROM 1050DE further differentiates itself from the V-STROM 1050 with a longer wheelbase, wider handlebars, steel footpegs, less aggressive steering geometry, a stronger drive chain, solid-mount seat, aluminium engine protection, new front fender and a standard-equipment protection bar.
TheV-STROM 1050DE also has longer suspension travel and more ground clearance than its sibling, as well as a smoke sports windscreen for maximum visibility.
The Gravel mode retards ignition timing to allow slip when riding on unsealed surfaces, promoting not only greater confidence but also ratcheting up the enjoyment factor.
The traction control can also be switched off, which is the same function available
LIKE A RED FLAG TO A BULL
Harley-Davidson turns up the intensity on an iconic styling theme with the introduction of the Low Rider El Diablo model, the latest offering in its limitededition Icons Collection program. In a nod to an American West Coast custom styling trend, the Low Rider El Diablo model combines lean performance and sport-touring versatility with a stunning panelled hand applied paint scheme and the sonic power of Harley-Davidson Audio powered by Rockford Fosgate. Global production of the model will be limited to a onetime build of 1500 serialised examples, scheduled to be available in Spring 2022, with pricing of $39,995 in Australia and $42,750 in New Zealand.
on theV-STROM 1050.
Australians can reserve theirV-STROM 1050/DE in a special on-line pre-order campaign – and score big!V-STROM 1050DE customers will receive a free genuine aluminium luggage kit (hard panniers and top box), while theV-STROM 1050 will come with a free genuine aluminium top box.
are listed at freecuppa.com.au. Drivers/ riders can show their licence with a home address 100km away or more to receive a free cuppa.They can be driving for work or recreation. It
Build and reserve your newV-STROM 1050 by visiting suzukimotorcycles.com. au and experience the ‘BuildYour Bike’ feature.
doesn’t matter.
Remember that coffee is no substitute for rest. Free Cuppa really just want you to stop and take a break. We feel this a great initiative and encourage all of you to get out there for a ride, take a break and enjoy a cuppa.
N E W S GET YOURS…NOW!
Although the great folk at Edelweiss Bike Travel are still enjoying a perfect Indian summer, they’re making plans for 2023.As of today, their full program for next year is online and bookable! And thus, you can book all European motorcycle tours from the 2023 program with a €200 or $250 discount until 31 October 2022 now, just use the online booking code: EBB2023. Meanwhile the brand new 2023 brochure filled with all tours and information you need to know about Edelweiss Bike Travel is on its way to you! If you haven´t signed up yet, jump onto edelweissbike. com/en/form/?c=CAT3 to either order your free print version or if you´d rather have a digital version you can of course download it directly from the website.
Edelweiss want to surprise you with several new tours for next season!
The scouting Dubai & Oman, which was successfully carried out this year, has been added to the program.And another pearl in the middle east has made the Edelweiss program,Adventure Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which includes the most fascinating highlights like Petra and Wadi Rum. edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=ADO – Adventure Dubai & Oman edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=ASJ – Adventure Saudi Arabia and Jordan
Talking about adventure, in cooperation with Touratech, Edelweiss will offer the first guided off-road Adventure Country Tracks (ACT) Tour in the Pyrenees - edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=UPP
What about riding aVespa and exploreVienna and the gentle surroundings in lower Austria? Then you should definitely check out theVienna Tour by Scooter! edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=2VE
MAGICIANS INSIDE
iPone Full Protect is claimed to be THE product to have in your workshop and the secret to have a beautiful functional bike. Six functions in the one can, they include…
1. CLEANS AND DISSOLVES RUST
Full Protect restores the rusty metal parts of the motorcycle such as the exhaust, the exhaust manifold or even screws.To restore a rusty part, spray the product and rub with steel wool.
2. REMOVES MOISTURE
Full Protect leaves a protective film against humidity on all the mechanical parts of the bike and prevents oxidation and corrosion of the metal parts to keep a beautiful and shiny bike!
3. RESTORES CORRODED ELECTRICAL CONTACTS
No matter if you want to discover the highest passes of the Alps, rugged Iceland, the Tibetan high grounds or the beauty of Asia and Africa by motorcycle, Edelweiss are convinced you should be able to find a tour that will make your dreams come true.
NEW ADDITIONS
SW-Motech’s new SysBag Water Proof range is sure to impress. 100% water and dust proof.The range includes a small, medium and large sized bags all the way from 5.5 litres up!They can be mounted to side luggage racks, by use of the new SysBag adapter plate, or strapped to rear racks. An inbuild M.O.L.L.E system allows for attachment of smaller accessory bags. See the entire range at motorradgarage.com.au
Full Protect also prevents the oxidation of electrical contacts. It can be used preventively or to restore contact if necessary! For example, you can use it on connectors, control pods, electric motorcycle battery connectors, light bulb sockets, etc.
4. RELEASES JAMMED MECHANISMS
As a powerful penetrating oil, Full Protect releases screws and lubricated clutch cables and throttle tubes… And if you’re struggling with your clutch and your buddies are waiting for you, Full Protect will get you going again!
5. LUBRICATES
Full Protect lubricates mechanical parts for optimal operation, more fluidity at a professional level! It lubricates various components, such as ball bearings, needle roller bearings, footrest axles, suspension links, screws, rear wheel axles, gear selector and much more.
6. CLEANS
A multi-purpose spray for precise applications. Its multi-position diffuser allows wide spraying or precise application with the rod. It is practical for reaching and treating areas that are difficult to access. It also folds and unfolds in one movement. Grab a can or two at your local bike shop or visit iponeoils.com.au Full Protect is available in 250ml or 750ml cans.
ANIMALISTIC E
EVER SINCE THE YAMAHA MT-10 was released (around six years ago) I have loved riding each new year model and version – they’re an animal of a bike that makes you giggle like a schoolgirl whenever you twist the throttle. The bike you’re reading about here is the top-level SP version, now even closer to sister, the R1-M, yet higher in spec! That is, until the new R1-M is released shortly…
Yamaha’s MT-10 SP has always been more than just a stripped down R1-M with straight bars. It’s the only naked from Japan that can compete on equal terms with the best from Europe in the fun stakes, while costing less.
That’s all thanks to the crossplane crank engine’s monumental torque, wailing MotoGP soundtrack and its superbike sister’s lust for corners. But at the same time, it’s comfortable and easy to get on with. Its rivals have moved the game on over the years, but so has the 2022 Yamaha MT-10 SP.
It’s never had the pub-bragging power figures or graceful looks of its European super naked rivals, but the Yamaha MT-10 SP has always been more exciting and simpler to ride.
I feel the new look has upped the game, but what the 2022 model does give you is a monstrous amount more pant wetting excitement in the midrange, which makes it even more animalistic, especially with the extra induction roar bellowing in your ears – oh yes, oh yes!
Better still its new electronics can be switched off when you want to enjoy the MT’s fruits to the full.
This next evolution of the MT-10 SP is equipped with a refined Euro 5 friendly version of the legendary CP4 crossplane engine with increased power and producing a stronger feeling of torque. The updated 2022 design benefits from lightweight aluminium forged pistons, offset conrods and direct-plated cylinders in order to ensure maximum efficiency, and has a number of new modelspecific features that are designed to
enhance the feeling of torque.
To boost the road-focused midrange, steel conrods are used rather than the titanium components used on the R1, and the moment of inertia at the crankshaft is increased.
Fuel injection settings have been changed for an even higher level of linear torque between 4000 and 8000rpm – and the design of the intake and exhaust systems is also modified to give the MT-10 SP a more thrilling and unique character.
Fuel economy is claimed to be improved also thanks to a reduction by one tooth for the rear sprocket, but I was pretty heavy on the throttle so my 8.11L/100km is still thirsty. You do notice the need for a few more revs when taking off from a standstill, but if you wanted to add the one tooth back on it’s an easy change.
Yamaha’s development team has custom-made a new tuned intake sound for the 2022 model by the use of an all-new air cleaner box that is equipped with three intake ducts with different lengths and cross sections.
Each duct produces a different intake sound, and they are designed to resonate harmoniously at varying engine speeds to create a unique intake roar that enhances the overall riding experience.
In particular, the tuned intake is specifically designed to produce a sensual roar between 4000 and 8000rpm that reinforces the MT10’s enormous torque feeling when accelerating hard or powering out of a turn.
The big-torque experience is heightened by the new Acoustic Amplifier Grilles that are positioned
on the front left and right of the 17-litre fuel tank. These amplifiers transmit the tuned induction sound directly to you, and the vibration of the grilles themselves also contributes to the thrill and excitement when you open the throttle.
A new titanium exhaust features newly designed titanium downpipes and muffler, it also has four catalysts up from two (for emissions), which has upped the overall weight of the SP by 2kg to 214kg. Like the new tuned intake, the exhaust has been designed to emit a deep and distinctive sound that emphasises the bike’s uneven firing sequence –while it is a smidgen louder than the old model, it’s still super quiet – as it has to be in this day and age. An aftermarket Akrapovic full system would soon have you blasting the street with a Fabio Quartararo M1 MotoGP symphony. You can choose from two slip-on accessory mufflers if you wish.
All of the updates have increased power by four kilowatts and torque by a wholesome one Newton Metre. It’s no R1-M in terms of outright speed and it doesn’t need to be; the insane thrust between 4000-8000rpm feels more like an earth-moving big-bore V-twin than an inline four, which is what makes it so thrilling on the road, although the throttle response can be aggressive at town speeds in PWR-1. PWR-2 was a good all-rounder and PWR-3 and 4 lacked a bit of feel.
Electronic Brake Control (BC) is designed to give increased controllability during mid corner riding, and independently modulates and controls the pressure being
applied to the front brake and rear brake. You can select one of two modes: BC-1 mode is a standard ABS-active mode, while BC-2 is designed to operate in mid corner emergency braking situations. I didn’t like BC-2 at all, it takes away some of the power and feel of the brakes, which is never a good thing, even with the new Brembo radial master cylinder and braided lines new to this model. I actually thought there was something wrong when I first took off from Yamaha HQ, until I pulled over on the side of the road and switched to BC-1, which feels more how a bike like this should.
Electronic Ohlins SV forks and shock are higher spec than are fitted to the current R1-M until the new model is released, however it does lack a little bit of feel on automatic mode A-1, A-2 or A-3, with A-1
A track day or three or four would be an absolute hoot on the SP
obviously being the hardest and the A-3 the softest. I found level A-2 the best for all-round enjoyment, but as there are so many adjustments I’d have to have many more weeks of riding this latest SP model to reap the benefits and get it to a place where I was happy in one of the manual modes, of which there are three as well. In saying that, on level A-2 I could push as hard as I liked through tight twisties and fast open sweepers – you do get used to the ‘electric’ feel the automatic modes give.
Helping the handling be faster on turn in, a 3mm longer rear spring and taller-profile rear Bridgestone S22 (up from 50 to 55 section) pushes more weight over the front wheel and raises the seat by 10mm to 835mm. The wheels are also lighter, but it would be near impossible to feel the difference unless riding the old model back-toback. Side valves for ease of use are fitted to the lighter wheels too.
Further to the electronics fitted to the SP, a 6-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) has now evolved into a smaller and lighter box. The IMU features two sensors that
measure 3-axis angular velocity: pitch, roll and yaw – and three-axis acceleration: forward/backward, up/ down and left/right. So sophisticated are the electronics you won’t really know what’s doing what, other than it is working to give you the safest and fastest ride you can have.
Lean sensitive traction control, slide control, lift control, brake control, Yamaha ride control all contribute to how the system works on entry, turn in, apex, transition to power and exit from corners –top technical stuff! You can also change all of this through the instrument panel to how you like it.
A new look for the MT-10 SP might not have the exquisite detailing of its more expensive rivals, but the Yamaha SP is robustly built, the SP Icon Performance colour scheme while the new three-piece bellypan adds a touch of exclusivity. Yamaha has overall kept its divisive, arachnid styling, but a slimmed down, pared to the bone look really has improved it in my mind. The frame, taken straight from the R1, has the old model radiator shrouds removed as well. If you look closely at the old model and this new one you’ll see a thread and cut away just below the tank – this denotes the frame pinched from the R1.
All of the updates have increased power by four kilowatts and torque by a wholesome one Newton Metre
The tank is now smoother and the seat firmer for added feel, but its roomy, almost supermoto-like riding position remains. New LED
headlights are shrouded by more faired-in plastics and the remodelled air-intakes look the business.
Comfort is a great mix of just weighted wrists sitting upright and the pegs a little sporty as they need to be. A track day or three or four would be an absolute hoot on the SP.
When it’s time to cruise the long boring sections of road cruise control is standard and there’s now a speed limiter. A super sweet up/down quickshifter, which was previously an accessory is now standard as it should be.
The 4.2in colour TFT which replaces the old LCD dash isn’t allsinging and dancing as you might expect. There’s no connectivity which seems to be ‘The Thing’ nowadays –
Specs
YAMAHA MT-10 SP
MODEL: Yamaha MT-10 SP
PRICE: $27,349 (ride away)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: 998cc liquid-cooled in-line four cylinder, 79x50.9mm bore/stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
POWER: 122kW @ 11,500rpm
TORQUE: 112Nm @ 9000rpm
is this a good thing? Yep. On a bike as crazy as this you need to know what’s going on, not listening to your music or having the misses telling you to pick up some bread and milk on the way home. Don’t worry though, there’s so much that can be changed within the settings you won’t have time to get bread or milk.
As with previous generations of MT-10 SP there’s a long list of accessories to choose from including Akrapovic exhausts, tank protectors, comfort seat, hard luggage, crash protection and loads more goodies. If you want every other motorcycle rider envying your ride, the MT-10 SP will growl, bark and demolish them in its wake - an animal that wants you to experience the thrill. D
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, chain final drive
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 8.11 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 209km
COLOURS: Icon Performance
VERDICT: Rip your shirt off and get wild!
Punting the passes of the Alps
TRAVEL
The roads can be narrow, but the buses are wide.
THERE IS QUITE A lot of competition for the “best motorcycle roads in the world”. I play the game myself, but I am honest about it: I remember that the best roads are generally the most recent ones I have ridden. Thinking about that a few months ago while we were still in the grip of covid, I realised that I could not really be fair because I had ridden relatively few roads and passes in the Alps.
Why not? I have ridden through the Alps several times, and I have also spent a bit of time exploring the Dolomites – a section of the eastern Alps, mainly in Italy. But the other trips have all been through the mountains, on the way to somewhere. So I have tackled the Stelvio, the San Bernardino and a couple of other passes, but I have never been on a ride specifically intended to ride me some o’ that there high country and the passes associated with it.
Time to change that, and seeing that we were looking at an easing of covid restrictions in the not-too-distant future, time to make actual plans.
The “how”, as it turned out, was not a problem. You know whom I mean when I write “the people who make our lives easier”. They are the ones will fit you in for a tyre change when you want to go away on the weekend but don’t have time to do the job yourself; they will pull a spare part off a showroom bike if you need it and they don’t have it in stock; they will take the trouble to draw you a map, complete with fuel stops and campsites, for that ride into unknown territory.
And if they are tour operators, they will organise a holiday tour for you in a strange place, on another continent and in a language you don’t speak or understand.
Australia is not the worst place in the world for a motorcyclist to be stuck when international borders close, but it’s not the best, either. There are a lot of places to ride which do suffer from two noticeable deficits: one is in variety of scenery, the other is in vertical variety. So it was not surprising that my thought turned to the Alps when we looked like coming out of our covid restrictions. You can’t put a front wheel out of a
Cool tunnels were welcome in the heat.
garage door without finding yourself on amazing roads in spectacular scenery. I do mean “amazing”, by the way. Alpine roads range from six-lane tollways through both good and bad two-lane blacktop and old concrete military roads to ancient single-track pass trails.
Below the tree line, the Alps have beautiful, shaded
I have been using the same tour operators for years, and in this case the obvious choice was Edelweiss Bike Tours. They not only fit the above description, but like all good tour operators they will also make sure that you have the bike you want and that you don’t miss the best roads and attractions on your tour. Not only do I have a lot of experience with Edelweiss – this was my eighth trip with them – but the Alps are their home, and they offer a remarkable variety of tours there of different lengths and with different onand off-bike attractions.
roads.
The Ultimate Alps Tour picks out many of the best passes and other Alpine roads. That was exactly what I wanted, of course, to increase my high Alps experience
Edelweiss invites me on a tour each year and I don’t pay for it, except for personal items like drinks. I get other invitations too, but I regularly accept the ones from Edelweiss because I know that I’ll come back with a positive report for you, which is in truth the real point of these trips. I love them, but I do them for you!
There are unexpected benefits, too. I hadn’t realised it, but as a bonus when you take the Ultimate Alps Tour with Edelweiss, they are just the people to improve your time and style through hairpins. I reckon that after this tour I was easily twice as fast, and I even
A hot but coollooking Bear in his Rukka suit.
Water is almost as important a feature as rock.
Here’s Oetzi, the Ice Man. The museum display is terrific.
looked pretty slick. Hope it lasts!
When I arrived at the starting point in Seefeld, in Austria, I knew what to expect. Edelweiss has a well-honed procedure for the beginning of a tour. A relaxed get-together midafternoon which includes a thorough briefing in whatever languages might be required is followed by the handover of the bikes. This is your chance to check that the bike is exactly what you wanted, and to make any adjustments necessary for your riding style.
I had specified a BMW F 750 GS just like my bike at home, and that was what I got – except that it wasn’t identical. It was a ‘Sport’ model, which appeared to be somewhere between the two different 750s we get in Australia with the TFT screen but key, not fob, operation. Still the same great touring bike.
After motorcycle familiarisation it’s dinner, where you get an opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers. They were all from the US in this case except for one Canadian bloke, and were the usual pleasant North Americans you find overseas. I had been on tour with three of them before, and that gave the
Markets in the towns add wonderful colour.
trip an even more convivial atmosphere. The Ultimate Alps Tour picks out many of the best passes and other Alpine roads. That was exactly what I wanted, of course, to increase my high Alps experience. The first day was an excellent introduction: we tackled the Reschenpass, 1504 metres; the Stelvio, at 2758 metres the highest pass in the eastern Alps; the Passo d’Eira, 2209 metres; the Forcola di Livigno, 2315 metres and finally the Bernina Pass
at 2328 metres. Each of the passes is different, with roads that range from a continuous succession of hairpins to long, gentle curves following the shape of the mountains.
In some cases you don’t realise that you’ve reached the top of a pass, because you reach the altitude so gently. In other cases it’s a matter of hairpin after hairpin. That last description fits the famous Stelvio, which I have been known to
And on the subject of lakes: here’s a moody one at sunset.
Queuing for one of the hairpins on the Stelvio.
disparage, but our guide Michaela introduced us to a new attraction at its top: Bruno’s hot dog cart. Bruno provides awesome rolls holding as many as four hot dogs each, and whether you go for the plain ones or the bratwurst you get value for money.
Next day our guide was Daniel, who told us that we would be riding through the Swiss Motorcycle National Park. That’s an unofficial title, he admitted, but the ride made good anyway. The distance by air between Pontresina, where we had spent the night, to our next overnight stop at Brunnen on Lake Lucerne was only about 100km, but the road distance
was more than 330km. Pretty much all of the day’s ride was taken up by a string of passes including the Splügen Pass and the San Bernardino which is not especially high at 2067 metres but which is definitely one of the most outstanding passes to ride.
After a ferry crossing in the morning, we had a gentle introduction to the western Swiss Alps before tackling the Susten and Furka passes. One attraction along here that didn’t especially work for me was the walk inside the Rhone Glacier, the start of the Rhone River, which is melting at an alarming rate. I didn’t fancy a long walk downhill to the canvas-covered entry. It looks more like a disheveled tent from above. The view across the valley made up for it.
That night we stayed in Zermatt, a town that bans internal combustion engines. You park well outside and catch either a shuttle or the train into town. Once there, I didn’t actually think the lack of petrol engines made much difference – just me, just me. The air was nice and clear, admittedly, and the giant stone pillar of the Matterhorn that overlooks the village was as sharp as a dagger. I seem to have a talent for picking out hot days for my
Bruno waves his sausage over our guide Michaela.
Edelweiss tours. The previous one I had taken was unique – at the time – for the 40 degree days in Eastern Europe. This one – bingo! – matched that, but this time in the Alps! I was wearing my Rukka Shield-R suit, which I have found not only effective but also comfortable in all sorts of weather conditions. With the jacket open, it even did the job in these temperatures… but it was hot.
More amazing roads, more passes, more glaciers and lots more pleasant lunch breaks and evenings in quality hotels* enjoying quality dinners (Edelweiss picks up the tab for these) and we arrived for a rest day and then our last night on the road, in Bozen/ Bolzano. The signposting arrangement here is a little like Canada’s, except the languages are German and Italian instead of French and English. I headed off to see Oetzi, the ice man. Terrific display with good explanations, and you can see the 5000-year old body of the man himself through glass in a temperature-controlled chamber.
The tour kept best of the passes for the last day with Timmelsjoch at 2509 metres. I regret that I had never ridden this one before, and I intend to correct that on my next tour to Europe if I can. The approach from the Italian side is especially spectacular. And not only that, there is a brilliant motorcycle museum at the top. Admittedly you have to pay to ride the pass, but it’s easily worth the 15 Euros. The museum costs the same, and it was impressive enough that I’ll write another story about it.
Now I seriously have to consider the Alps alongside New Zealand and Norway for the “best motorcycle roads in the world”… D
*Hotels are among the things that tour operators can do especially well because they know the places touched on their tours. I thought I might include a list so you can check them out on the interwebs; pillions, especially, find them quite interesting. Please note that there wasn’t a dud among them, although I do need to mention one thing: this ride was during an unprecedented European heatwave, and hotels over there generally do not have air conditioning.They are set up pretty well, but sometimes it would be wonderful to just feel that wash of icy air across your body…
‘ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK makes a hard man humble…”, so the song goes. Hard I am not, but humbled I was as I sped furiously through Bangkok city on Royal Enfield’s new Hunter 350. Here I was on a bike designed for city life, and outstandingly capable of doing so. The humbled part comes from witnessing the thousands of motorcycles blasting through the cityscape at seemingly insane speeds, and me being a part of that insanity on the Hunter.
All this manic activity was part of the world launch of the Hunter 350, Royal Enfield’s latest, and dare I say it, most modern feeling and looking motorcycle. Five years or so in the making, the Hunter 350 uses the Classic and Meteor 350 as a loose basis. Apart from the J series 350cc single cylinder engine, the Hunter is literally an all-new motorcycle, styled to suit hip young city dwellers - who probably have never heard Murray Head’s 1980s classic - but engineered for a wide variety of ages and abilities too.
Royal Enfield has really pushed back into the western world’s motorcycle scene in the last half a decade or so. No longer the niche manufacturer of classic looking bikes for the budget conscious, and with a dealer network operating out of hokey little shops, at least in Australia, RE has set the world alight in recent times, especially with the 650 Interceptor/Continental GT range which has become one of the biggest sellers of any motorcycle model in the world. With a well-built motorcycle at a great price point. RE has done it again with the Hunter 350. A well-built, well finished motorcycle, at what should be a great price point and perfectly suited for its target market.
A team of Indian and British designers/stylists and engineers have worked steadily on the Hunter for the last five years. It seems, to me at least, that RE started on this
modernisation trend when it bought Harris Performance some years ago. Harris Performance was, and still is, one of the world’s leading aftermarket motorcycle chassis designers, and has been around for 50 years. What that gave RE was access to modern chassis technology and ideas, and the engineers behind them.
This J series engine might not boast much of an increase in horsepower from the previous 350 RE engine, and in fact it’s only got one HP more. The biggest technical difference is in going to overhead cam and chain drive. It’s still a two-valver, with a counter balancer shaft. It has fuel injection, a one point rise in compression (8.5:1 to 9.5:1) and so on but the big difference is the way it’s packaged. Never before has a Royal
A team of Indian and British designers/ stylists and engineers have worked steadily on the Hunter for the last five years
Enfield engine looked so modern, at least to me. It feels modern too, not like a high revving, low to mid capacity water-cooled parallel twin like you’ll find in most bike shops selling Japanese brands. It’s not like that but you never get the impression the J series donk feels ‘archaic’ or outclassed.
On paper the 20.2hp (15kW) and 27Nm of torque might not excite you but it’s designed to suit certain world markets where outright power means little while usability, and perhaps styling, means everything. Think every major sprawling metropolis in the world. This is where the bike is designed to shine.
With the Hunter 350 being the final bike in the trilogy of new 350 models, RE wanted it to be the raciest, funkiest styled, and most
WORLD LAUNCH
capable of the three. At least that’s the impression I got from the launch rave party in Bangkok. The styling is certainly retro but modern all at once, and the marketing hype was aimed squarely at the younger set, those with full heads of hair, stylish beards, tanned skin, beautiful bodies… You get the drift. It’s aimed at everything I’m not, but it suited me too. Who would have thought?
“One Night in Bangkok
The 17-inch wheels with 140/70-17 and 110/70-17 CEAT tubeless tyres, ABS with a single 2-piston caliper up front, 41mm forks, and preloadadjustable twin shocks are all regular bike fare these days but the cast alloy wheels are a departure from the norm for RE. One thing that impressed me, besides the styling, was the high level of finish on the bike. What looked like ceramic coating adorned most
parts of the bike, and this enhanced the real ‘blacked out’ look of the Hunter 350. I especially liked the coating on the exhaust and the way it followed the frame angles to almost make itself invisible.
And then it was time to sample the maelstrom of Bangkok nightlife. Not the bars, the streets! Even at 9.30pm the traffic outside our hotel was intense. Our lead rider, ‘British
makes a hard man humble…”
George’, raced superbikes back home and said to me, “Can you guys ride? I lost the last group in two sets of lights last night.” “Well, um, I guess we can all ride,” I replied. Here we are, about to risk life and limb on a bike we have never ridden, not even around the block. There wasn’t going to be much between despair and ecstasy.
George had obviously taken me at my word and got stuck right in
straight away. I made sure I was on his back wheel. I did not want to get lost. I couldn’t see too many street signs in English. The only Thai I knew was Sawadee Ka, which does not mean, ‘Can you take me back to my hotel’. Anyway, straight away I felt very comfortable on the Hunter 350. It’s a full-sized bike. I’m a shade over six foot and it fitted me nicely. Within 20 minutes of riding like a madman
trying to keep up I had realised the bike actually felt great to ride. The brakes were well up to the task, the long stroke engine felt punchy enough, and flexible too, because at times I found myself in too high a gear and the bike would just keep going without the need to shift down or start slipping the clutch.
It steered nicely too, no doubt the
We sampled it all. Dodgy back streets, freeways, the city, everything. Not once did the bike display any signs that I was asking too much of it
chassis designers at Harris knew their stuff. Before too long we were all seemingly at ease with our machines, so George upped the already fast pace into something approaching frantic. It was almost as though he wanted to drop us off. No probs, the bike handled everything. Young George had already spent three weeks in Bangkok doing this route, so he was well within his comfort zone no
doubt. We weren’t there yet but geez we were having fun. You could tell by the looks of pure enjoyment on the faces of the other riders that we were all having a blast on this bike. On the way to the Impact Speed Park go kart track, we rode through China Town at 10pm with thousands, and I mean thousands, of people squashing the road down to one lane. We found ourselves in the back blocks dodging stray dogs and then on numerous occasions we were jumping flat top bridges. We sampled it all. Dodgy back streets, freeways, the city, everything. Not once did the bike display any signs that I was asking too much of it.
Then at midnight or thereabouts, I was cutting laps on a go kart track, having a ball. Getting around the track was easy enough and the bike felt fine being pushed. Some riders thought the CEAT tyres didn’t “inspire confidence” but I never found them unsettling. Sure, there were times on the road ride when we were ‘hustling’ through some tight bends that the ‘unknown’ nature of the tyres was in the back of my mind, but nothing they did really warranted that. Weighing in at 181kg wet, the Hunter 350 is no tiny bike but not overly
WORLD LAUNCH
heavy either. It felt light to ride, it was easy to change direction on the track, and the only time it touched down was on the right hand side. Overall the track experience was a fun one but bear in mind I didn’t want to poleaxe myself. We left that to later groups. I do believe one group of four riders all crashed in the track session. Maybe a bit too much Banzai throttle.
From there it was another hour or so blast back to the hotel in the city. Almost unbelievably, George seemed to up the pace again. We were riding these Hunter 350s flat out and both we and it were loving it. At one stage we saw an oriental beauty in tight shorts and tank top riding a ZX10R and giving it the business from the lights...only in Bangkok. We got back to the hotel around 2.30am and I was so wired I couldn’t sleep for hours. I wasn’t sure if I felt an angel sliding up to me or a devil walking next to me. I am sure this little 350 impressed the hell out of me though.
With a few hours sleep we were up to again sample the delights of Bangkok traffic on the Hunter 350. A different lead rider and the pace was subdued slightly from the night before. Somehow this felt slightly more dangerous. Maybe we were old hats by now. A ride to the airport had the RE crew negotiating with police, more photos and more traffic mayhem.
While the Hunter 350 may be designed for big city life, I’m confident it can handle Australian conditions equally well. It will sit at
freeway speeds without issue and give riders a lot of fun along a winding road, where you can freely use all the bike’s potential rather than using a third of a big bike’s performance.
There are a handy number of accessories designed for the Hunter. My favourite setup was the bar end mirrors, small screen and the taller seat option, giving taller riders an inch (25mm) more seat height than the standard 790mm seat. You can buy the accessories separately but there are a couple of different
Specs
ROYAL ENFIELD HUNTER 350
MODEL: Royal Enfield Hunter 350
PRICE: $TBC
I wasn’t sure if I felt an angel sliding up to me or a devil walking next to me. I am sure this little 350 impressed the hell out of me though
accessory packages available. Plenty of colour schemes are available too. I particularly like the Rebel Blue and Rebel Red.
No Australian price has been listed yet and it is anticipated bikes will be in showrooms just before the end of the year. I really think this bike will be popular with learner riders and those looking for a funky city bike, where the retro styling and high-quality finish will be a big attraction.
I hope you enjoyed some of the One Night in Bangkok song lyrics throughout the story and you get to sample the same feeling through your city on the Hunter 350. D
ABOUT the dud cars that manufacturers have produced over the years. Ford would, I’m sure, prefer to forget the Edsel just as Audi would the Fox. But what about a manufacturer that has only ever made one car… which kept East Germans in jokes for decades? Meet the Trabant, built by VEB Sachsenring in Zwickau, Saxony from 1957 to 1990. I know it’s a car, but it is also a 601cc two-stroke, which sounds like a bike.
Here is a starter for the jokes: Why were there so few bank robberies in East Germany? Because you had to wait ten years for your getaway car.
But my favourite joke about the Trabant also involves those ten years between ordering a Trabi, and having it delivered. It tells you pretty much all you need to know about those days.
A purchaser has finally scraped together the cash for a car and goes in to order it. When he’s signed the contract, he says to the salesman, “Comrade salesman, I know I will be waiting ten years for the car, but will delivery be in the morning or afternoon?”
“What do you care, comrade?” says the salesman, who suspects that his customer is taking the piss. “It’s ten years away!”
“Oh yes, yes,” says the buyer. “But comrade, I have the plumber coming in the afternoon.”
Here’s another one. Traffic accident in East Berlin! Two Trabants have collided. The death toll is thirteen
And what about the kid who maintained that East Germany bult the fastest cars in the world? After all, he said, his father didn’t finish work until 5.00pm but he always got home in his Trabi by four o’clock at the latest. Let’s finish with this one: An American millionaire who has heard that people in East Germany will wait for ten years for their car, is impressed. This thing must be good, he reasons, and orders a Trabi.
There is major excitement at the factory in Zwickau when the order comes in. With the export potential in mind, management decides to send him
“Look, it’s a… what the hell is it?” Edelweiss tour participants get a surprise.
his car straight away instead of making him wait. The millionaire is even more impressed.
“Look,” he says, “I might have to wait for ten years before I get the car, but they sent a cardboard scale model straight away!”
To get this final joke you need to know that Trabant bodies were made of what was effectively resin-impregnated cardboard, and that the car was very small. Was? Well, the 601cc two-stroke engine was so inefficient that Trabants have been outlawed in the now-united country of their origin.
EAST GERMANY’S GIFT TO COMEDIANS HERE’S THE TRABI!
Why the car jokes in a motorcycle magazine? Well, I was reminded about Trabants when on an Edelweiss Bike Tours ride I recently found one that was not only running but also registered –in Italy. Considering the vast amount of raw exhaust that Italian trucks spew out, it seems only fair to allow the Trabbie’s relatively minor contribution. Still, why the car jokes? To be honest, because the motorcycles produced in the German Democratic Republic were not all that bad.
It might have been 60 years ago,
This Trabant has been carefully restored.
Four wheel studs instead of five. Save where you can!
but you might remember that Ernst Degner won Suzuki’s first-ever world championship on the 50cc RM62. Ernst Degner? Isn’t that an unusual Japanese name? Yes it is, because it isn’t. Degner originally worked for MZ before defecting and taking the East German company’s racing secrets to Suzuki.
It was a sad moment when, on the 12th of December 2008 after many attempts to keep it going the MZ factory in Zschopau closed, after 88 years in the same town.
MZ had done well in many different kinds of racing, and from just across
The vent is held on with self-tappers.
Even the grille looks as if it’s grinding its teeth.
the border in Czechoslovakia, the communist Czech-built CZ defined motocross in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster each built their early legends on the CZ brand.
But back to four wheels. Some 3,800,00 of the cardboard (actually Duroplast – same thing, more or less, except derived from waste fabric) bodied, transversely-mounted 601cc, two-stroke, twin cylinder, independently suspended Trabi were built, so maybe it also deserves some respect. Then again, maybe not.
Did they get any respect? Just after the Wall fell, I was returning a test bike to BMW in Munich. It was a Sunday, so I was handing it over to the guard on the gate. Sitting smack in the middle of the driveway was a Trabant. When I asked the guard about it, he said, “Ah, they come over from the East in these with a fistful of cash and buy a Six Series, and they leave their crap cars for us to dispose of.”
One more. I can’t help myself. Why do Trabis have heated rear windows? To keep your hands warm while you push them. D
HIGHLIGHTS
Riding Provence, Gorge du Verdon, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Carcassonne, Luberon villages, Vercors, Pont du Gard, Millau Viaduct, Grasse
TOUR DATE MAY 27 - 11, 2023
MOE TO TRARALGON, VIC
I’m the man who grabs the sun, riding to Valhalla!
THIS IS A GREAT little route that takes in some history of a once gold mining town and some beautiful corners. A normally pretty quiet route on most days, which makes it even more relaxing.
MOE
Moe at the western end of Latrobe Valley is home to beautiful 19th century buildings and heritage sites. Step back in time to the 1850s and visit Old Gippstown, Gippsland’s Heritage Park. Stroll along the streets with authentic old buildings, horse-drawn carriages, agricultural machinery, and a general store. If you’re into walking, walk along the Moe to Yallourn Rail Trail taking in the diverse sites of the bushland, lakes and distant mountain views, as well as the imposing Yallourn Power station. Enjoy the scenic walks of the Edward Hunter Bush reserve or visit the nearby Old Brown Coal Mine Museum in Yallourn North.
The town offers good shopping and dining, with nearby bushland and lakes providing great recreational activities for visitors. Moe also serves as a gateway to the historic goldfields at Walhalla and the snowfields at Mt Baw
Baw and Mt St Gwinear.
MOONDARRA
A landmark for this route. The name Moondarra arose from the Moondarra pastoral leasehold (c1850), and it is thought the word was derived from an Aboriginal expression concerning rain or thunder.
ERICA
If you ride a mountain bike, Erica
is for you, with numerous MTB parks and trails. Generally known as Upper Moondarra in the early 1900s, the township of Erica began to grow after construction of the railway line from Moe to Walhalla, which passed through the area. When the station opened in 1910 it was named Harris, but had been renamed Erica after a nearby mountain by 1914.
The township of Erica lived mainly
WORDS – STUART • PHOTOS – VARIOUS
MOE TO TRARALGON, VIC
WALHALLA, VIC
There are a number of ways to get to Walhalla, but for this ride I was coming from Melbourne and turned to head north at Moe off the Princes Highway. Ride north on Moore Street out of Moe, which takes you to the roundabout to turn left on the Moe-Walhalla Road Head through Moondarra. At Parkers Corner there is a sign to Walhalla. Do not take this turn but keep heading north on
Thomson Valley Road
Ride up toThomson Dam and continue on to the ‘T’ intersection.This looks more like aY-intersection but either way you need to turn right on the gravel road. Follow Walhalla Road all the way to the gates of…Walhalla. Make sure your teeth are painted chrome. Check out the cemetery where everyone is buried on a 45 degree slope, or check out the
Goldfields Railway
Continue on to the end of Walhalla Road and turn left on Tyers-Walhalla Road and follow all the way to Tyers Turn right onTyers Road and cruise on into Traralgon and the ride is done. Distance – 126km Fuel – Moe,Tyers,Traralgon Information – Gippsland Country Tourism: visitgippsland.com.au
from forestry and agriculture, and owing to Walhalla’s decline by the 1920s was the largest town on the Moe-Walhalla railway. The section of line past Erica closed to traffic in 1944, save for occasional goods services to Platina station, and the line from Moe to Erica closed completely in 1954.
Erica still maintains agricultural and timber industry connections, as well as being a service town for local tourist destinations such as the Thomson Dam, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway, Mount Baw Baw and Mount St Gwinear.
RAWSON
While a stones throw off this route, Rawson has plenty to offerbushwalking, hiking, adventure bike exploration, mountain biking, trout fishing, whitewater adventuring, historical exploration, cross-country skiing, gold fossicking, deer hunting, and trail bike riding.
BAW BAW
Landmark for this route.
THOMSON DAM
The Thomson Dam is a major earth and rockfill embankment dam with a controlled chute spillway across the Thomson River. The impounded reservoir is officially called Thomson Reservoir, sometimes Lake Thomson.
Despite opposition from conservationists and farmers, plans for the dam were originally approved in late December 1975 to provide Melbourne with water security. A dam on the Thomson River was preferred
because the river had a large flow, high water quality and was elevated enough to provide water to the upper Yarra system by gravity flow.
Early work in the early 1970s saw construction of a 19-kilometrelong tunnel through the Thomson Yarra divide to allow water from the Thomson River to flow into the Upper Yarra Reservoir. Work on the dam itself commenced in 1976 and the dam wall was ready to contain water by 1983.
The tunnel, which is located at the northern end of the reservoir, allows water to be transferred west to Upper Yarra Reservoir and then on to Silvan Reservoir for distribution as drinking water in Melbourne.
Downstream releases from Thomson Reservoir pass through a 7.4 MW hydro power plant, at the base of the dam which generates electricity and feeds it into the state power grid.
JAY’S LOOKOUT
Worth a stop to have a look around.
WALHALLA
Once one of Australia’s richest towns and home to over 4000 gold seekers, this sleepy mountainside town is now frozen in time and is home to
only 20 residents. Walk through the lovingly restored centre full of heritage buildings, try your hand at panning for gold, or take a tour of the surrounding area.
Revel in the history that followed the discovery of Cohen’s Reef, a three-kilometre vein of gold running through Walhalla. Learn about the tough lives of miners, pan for gold down at Stringers Creek, and then explore the old hotels, shops, school and churches built in the 19th century when the town was at its peak.
Take a ride on the Walhalla Goldfields Railway. Enjoy the vibrant autumn trees, the beautiful Stringers Creek Gorge and colourful spring wildflowers. For something a little spookier, take a ghost tour at the old cemetery on the hill.
Spend a weekend in one of the many B&Bs in and around Walhalla. Enjoy open fires and spectacular views of the valley. You’ll find plenty of accommodation options, from basic rooms through to luxury digs.
JACOB CREEK
Another landmark…keep riding.
TYERS
Tyers Lookout just before town is worth having a look at.
TRARALGON
Amble along the wide tree-lined streets, beautiful gardens and spacious parklands of Traralgon. As the region’s entertainment capital, Traralgon has an ever-expanding choice of top-notch dining options and a thriving pub and club scene. D
Out from the Shadows
Steve Parrish and Murray Sayle
OBEYING THE WISHES OF a professional photographer, Murray Sayle poses with the H2R750 that kicked off his wonderful career at Kawasaki. Muz climbs aboard and sits high in the saddle as the gorgeous sunshine highlights the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed (BSFOS) paddock in the brilliant hues of 1970s factory liveries. As the photographer snaps away, Murray grabs the clip-ons and crouches down easily on the tank, then cocks his head towards the lense. It’s an act that brings a big smile to a sometimes stony face, a smile of pure joy not teary nostalgia.
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Muz – what a champion bloke
RACING LEGENDS
When he raced for Team Kawasaki Australia from 1974 to 1977, the taciturn Sayle was forever in the shadow of charismatic Gregg Hansford
These guys aren’t spinning their wheels, they’re still on it
When he raced for Team Kawasaki Australia from 1974 to 1977, the taciturn Sayle was forever in the shadow of charismatic Gregg Hansford. Likewise, Steve Parrish was seen as the pranking court jester in the circus that was Barry Sheene. At the BSFOS a few years ago, both men shone and were only too happy to reflect on their careers. For Sayle it’s all about the bikes; their antecedents, specifications, development and nuances. For Parrish, it’s normally about Sheene. That’s the subject that dominates his interviews, so I ask Parrish about Parrish and his strongest memories of the 70s.
“Waking up in hospital – a lot!” he joked. I think. “I remember them as great days, it was the halcyon era; it was me as a team-mate to Barry Sheene, travelling the world having a lot of fun. You’ve got to remember we only raced Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we use to muck up the other days. If you can turn a hobby into a living, which is what I did, you’re a lucky person. It was in the era without the hundreds of
A very funny man
cameras and social media we have now. In those days, PC stood for ‘Pulling Crumpet’. It wasn’t as commercialised as it is now, the sun seemed to shine a lot more, going to great countries, meeting different people. It’s nice to come back and hear the sounds of the RGs and things we use to race,” Parrish said as he eyed up and down pitlane at SMSP.
Warming to the subject, he continued. “It was wonderful, I was young, learning so much. It was a dream, but I look back on it in a way with regret that I didn’t enjoy it more. You put a lot of pressure on yourself if you wanted to win races and do well. I’d like to go back to some of the tracks I went to, and in my old age enjoy the atmosphere that goes on with these classic events. That’s what most us guys like to do – enjoy talking about the old days without any pressure.”
Pressure indeed. When I ask Parrish about his best GP result, he says,
Freddie was there ...
... So were Croz and Kork
In those days, PC stood for ‘Pulling Crumpet’
“I was going to say the ’77 British Grand Prix...” In front of a 90,000 crowd in the first-ever BGP on English soil, Wil Hartog led most of the race but went out with a seized crankshaft giving Parrish the lead until he slid off a Stowe Corner with just three laps to go, gifting John Williams the lead...only for him to slide off at the same corner on the last lap! Sheene retired with engine trouble. Pat Hennen won from Steve Baker, a possible British quinella led by Parrish dashed, but there were better days for Stavros in the GP paddock that lost a string of riders across the decade.
“I had a great race finishing race fourth at Spa passing Ago, my hero, in ’77. I had some great rides in Sweden, Anderstorp, I loved all those. I look back on it as a great time, realising what a lucky person I am. Some of them didn’t make it, did they? There was a lot of deaths unfortunately because the tracks were dangerous.”
A long-time WSBK, MotoGP commentator, Parrish is best known for his insightful coverage of the Isle of Man TT. Just like his GP career, Steve’s first TT memory is of the one that got away in the 1985 Formula One race. “I finished third and got disqualified, probably my worst memory. I finally got on the podium at the TT and got kicked out for an oversize fuel tank – allegedly. The TT was the most satisfying event you could ever do. You may not win, but you finish with a lot of fourths, fifths and sixths. Just to finish in the top ten was pretty good around there. Now I get to commentate on it, and I can relate to people what it’s like doing it. It’s a pleasure to still be involved with it. I now stand on the sidelines watching the guys go around and think, ‘wow, what the hell was I doing!?’ I see their faces when they come back in. You can see the relief, the excitement and the adrenalin pumping through their veins. I still adore the place and look forward to it every year.”
On the other side of the world Murray Sayle is something of a trainspotting anorak in the realms of 1970s Kawasakis and Yamahas. I ask him about the Gary Middleton’s ex TKA KR250. “It was a ‘75 model that
we originally received in 1976, and I rode it during the year. I had a win on it at Hume Weir, got a third on it at Bathurst. I enjoyed racing it. We got the ‘77 model with the single rearshock and the 360-degree firing crank, which made it a much better bike than the earlier one. The 180-degree ’75 engine was good at the time, but the 77 model was better in every respect –performance, handling, everything.
“The 1975 bike was made for the AMA series, with a seven-speed gearbox and I rode it in ’76 with a seven-speed gearbox. It was bit hard counting them all, so you changed down until it felt right and away you’d go. In ’77 when Gregg and I had the newer model, it was re-furbished for Rick Perry to ride. The 360 configuration had the six-speed transmission, the forks were changed, and it had different fairing and seat,
A long-time WSBK, MotoGP commentator, Parrish is best known for his insightful coverage of the Isle of Man TT
different from the example here.”
The H2R750 Murray posed with was originally raced by grizzly veteran Ron Toombs, who rated young Sayle very highly after a series of terrific dices. He recommended Murray to the team.
“They had a second bike that the team had when I first raced for them in 1974 at Amaroo Park,” Muz remembers.
“Ron rode this bike up until he stopped racing [in May 1975], and I rode it twice then Gregg joined the team and rode it in ’75. It was fun to ride. Lots of wheel-spin and wheelies, which was enjoyable. When I first started riding on treaded tyres – Dunlop KR84 front and rears – they used to wheel-spin in a straight line! If they weren’t doing wheelies, they were wheel-spinning. The bikes were a bit overpowered and when we got the Goodyear slicks front and rear in ’75 that improved things.”
These guys aren’t spinning their wheels, they’re still on it. Parrish was bloody quick in the Legend GP ‘Clashes’ and Muz was equally impressive. As for the bikes they rode, the older they get the better they look! D
On the other side of the world Murray Sayle is something of a trainspotting anorak in the realms of the 1970s Kawasakis and Yamahas
RIDEITFAST
HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS TAKEN ITS Low Rider S (a bike which I love) and transformed it into a travel-happy performance cruiser named the Low Rider ST. It’s a bit of a throw to those bagger racers you see in America, as a sort of bare bones machine with a screen.
In creating the ST, Harley used the same engine and chassis specs as the S, so beneath you sits the 117 cube (1923cc) Milwaukee-Eight V-twin.
H-D is quoting 168Nm of torque at 3500 rpm for the ST’s beating heart and it’s mated to a beautifully smooth initial throttle response that does a remarkable job of metering the level of torque in a precise fashion. The big free-flowing air filter no doubt contributes to this smooth response. Harleys of the past with their choking air filter housing felt exactly like that when you rode them – choked. One thing I did find the air filter does for my long legs is get in the way occasionally when I was punting hard and moving around on the seat. You can rev the big twin out if you wish but there’s really no point as the best performance is found between 2500-4000rpm, beyond which point the torque begins to taper off. There’s also 78kW on tap, which Harley says peaks at 5020rpm, so jamming the throttle open at anything from lowspeed corners to highway speeds is met with instant thrust. There’s no rider aids here - no traction control, no variable rider modes, but the way in which the Milwaukee-Eight delivers its performance, one has to really question if they are required. I did have the rear start to slide on the odd occasion on
exit of some corners, but only when it was pushed to the limit – and certainly not how the majority of Harley owners would ride this bike.
The engine is mated to your standard Harley-Davidson six speed gearbox with sixth being an overdrive for highway use and, truth be told, I hardly ever saw it flash up on the miniature digital dash mounted to the handlebar cross brace. H-D’s gearbox action has vastly improved over the years and gives the machine an enhanced quality feel.
Braking is taken care of by decent sized discs front and rear. I could get the front ABS working when pushing to the
There’s no traction control, no variable rider modes, but the way in which the MilwaukeeEight delivers its performance, one has to really question if they are required
limit but it is more than controllable.
The ST runs a single rate front spring compared to the triple rate spring on the Low Rider S to help maintain handling composure due to the extra weight of the ST. I found the ride just on the right side of stiff, a good thing as most Harleys I ride simply don’t have enough support for fast riding with the fork often plunging through the stroke under braking.
The ST loves flowing backroads and will be a happy companion when it comes to long sweepers. Point it where you want to go and the chassis takes you there, and despite the 327kg (wet)
TEST
weight, swift changes of direction are easy thanks to the high handlebar – just be careful of the rubber mid-mount pegs as they touch down fast. In fact, I’d much prefer it if Harley put their standard forward controls on this bike; long range comfort and cornering clearance would both improve.
However, the star of the Low Rider ST is fitment of the fairing and bags that take the pretty bare-bones Low Rider S and turn it into something resembling a touring cruiser. There are three decent sized airflow cut-outs so summer riding shouldn’t be as sweaty as something like the similar looking Road Glide. As I rode the ST on a cold winter day having the option to close the vents would be nice, but you can’t have the best of both worlds when this is aimed at being a performance bagger.
I found the short screen to be adequate at moving air away from the body and it didn’t give any buffeting with an open face helmet. H-D does offer a higher accessory screen if you want more protection.
The super tiny digital dash cluster mounted on the handlebar clamp is probably one of the best on the market – not overly packed with information, but it does supply all the essentials in a package you might even miss if you weren’t looking properly. It’s simply top class.
Comfort is a double edged sword –you get a deep-dish low 720mm seat with a pretty tall back that slots you in place well, but the slouchy position I found myself in while on longer rides, thanks to the footpeg position, got uncomfortable after 120km or so. The other side of the coin is that the tall
handlebar is great for the upper body and when you first ride the ST you’ll notice the handlebar is quite short and it takes a few kilometres to adjust yourself.
53-litres of storage is what you get from the panniers – they even come with gas struts, something I certainly wasn’t expecting on a bike like this. The sportiness of the ST means that if you don’t always want the panniers on, they take all of 15 seconds to remove via the knob on the inside of each case.
As with all Harley-Davidson motorcycles the list of accessories is extensive (to put it mildly). Since the ST is pretty bare bones the sky’s the limit, I guess.
Taking my favourite Harley – the Low Rider S -- and turning it into a performance bagger is very nice indeed. If you want a Harley that gives you a bit of fun in the twisties while carrying some luggage: this is the one. D
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 7.74 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 243km
COLOURS: Vivid Black; Gunship Gray
VERDICT: Fun stuff
down to a minimum – excellent!
For stability, a ZPLATE shank in the midsole keeps the right flexibility of the boot.This is claimed to allow the optimal riding and walking comfort, ensuring at the same time the transverse rigidity to protect the foot.
A Torsion Control System allows lateral and longitudinal movement of the ankle within its physiological limits, preventing excessive torsion and the risk of joint fracture.The main structure is composed of a double-heel counter and an interchangeable, polyurethane frame that allows lateral and longitudinal movement of the ankle, preventing torsion beyond natural limits.This structure is connected to central body sewn to the upper, connecting the top to the bottom of the boot to guarantee excellent hold.
T’S BEEN A FEWYEARS
SINCE I got a new pair of motocross boots and while I’ve used a couple of pairs of adventure type boots for product testing, I always go back to my motocross boots for adventure riding – I just like the added security a proper motocross boot offers and the support of locking in your ankles. So, out go my Sidi motocross boots, which have served me
perfectly over the last five or so years and in their place are the fabulous TCX Comp EVO 2 Michelin boots.
The Comp EVO 2 boots don’t have the external screw-on steel toe cap and sewn-on outsole as this boot is meant for high-performance, long-term ownership and is slimmer in the front area than most other motocross boots with a sewn-in outsole.
Super comfy D3O is placed throughout the boot and from the instant I put them on I was in pure bliss. Sure, it’s there for impact protection, but D3O also provides great comfort unlike some harder foam type squishy stuff. Break-in time was also
To top it all off, a D.F.C. System offers an excellent balance between flexibility and protection.The structure, made of a special polyurethane compound, allows the foot and leg to naturally flex forwards and backwards, while preventing ankle joint twisting.The system features a PU frame attached to the boot with two lateral hidden screws positioned on the heel counter, at ankle level.
If you’ve ever worn a motocross boot, you’ll know you walk like some kind of alien and this is still the case with this boot, but I’m sure all the technology put into the making of the Comp EVO 2 allows less alien dancing, and that is a great thing.
The Comp EVO 2 is waterproof with Gore-Tex built in.This fine material
has important features such as longterm waterproofing capacity, excellent resistance to the most extreme temperatures and high resistance to wear and tear.The special microporous structure of the Gore-Tex fabric in expanded PTFE contains around 1.4 thousand million microscopic pores per square centimetre.These pores are approximately 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water, but 700 times larger than a molecule of water vapour. So, while water cannot penetrate the Gore-Tex membrane in liquid form, sweat (water vapour) can easily evaporate. And that’s not all…Cordura AFT (Air Flow Technology) is a high technology fabric used for the lining, the knitted pattern that distinguishes this type of fabric offers a high degree of breathability, guaranteeing the best riding comfort in warmer weather.
Having a sole that grips in water, mud
and super dry conditions makes a massive difference to the control you have of your motorcycle, if you’ve ever been through a water crossing and come off or had a foot slide off and nearly crash – the fault can lie with the grip your boots offer –it’s not a nice feeling either.TCX joined up with JV International and came up with the Michelin Tech Sole.
The outsole blends in seamlessly with the ergonomic design of the boots, with technical characteristics obtained from Michelin tyres for the off road and road segments.All I can say is whatever compounds they’ve put into the sole –they work.The sole can also be easily replaced if it wears out down the track.
Adjustability is another great feature of these boots.There are four aluminium adjustable buckles and a calf adjustment system.This calf system if made to adjust to any type of calf and to accommodate knee braces/guards. It also has two
positions to choose from that change the range of motion.
Sizing runs one size down from normal – as in, I usually run a 49 EU motorcycle boot and with the TCX range I run their 48 EU.There are four colours to choose from as well – Black/Blue, Black/Red, White/Black and Black. I would have liked the blue; however, the white is what was available at the time. So, whoever that reader was that used to ‘love’ me wearing white boots many years ago – they’re back, baby! I expect many emails cursing my choice of white boots once again! The TCX Comp EVO 2 Michelin boots are a premium offering at $649.95. I feel the boot is a winner in comfort and durability and has the right amount of stiffness for all facets of off-road riding that I do. Check them out at your local bike shop, or jump online and view this and the entire range of TCX Boots at tcxboots.com.au SW
LATE ON DECEMBER
29TH, 1929, when a train pulled into the station at the pub-less Mallee town of Patchewollock a carload of out-oftown plain-clothed narks was waiting in the shadows. They watched as a stack of crates of beer was unloaded from one of the railway wagons and when it was all done one of the D’s headed over and ‘chased’ the bloke in charge for five bottles of Melbourne Bitter and handed him a ten-bob note. Took the beers back to the car, and then returned with his ‘civvied’ mates, busted Thomas Holland for sly grog selling and confiscated the town’s delivery of 1070 bottles of beer and 19 bottles of wine. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too!
A decade later even the local cops had changed their tune and admitted that sly grogging was an out-of-control social menace and the workers of the area deserved personal irrigation as much as did their crops. The local walloper testified to a hearing that there’d been 11 prosecutions in his 4½ years in the area and that ‘an hotel would be an asset, both from the police and public points of view.’
Neil Young, a local farmer led the campaign to replace the shady (not Steven) stills and sly groggers with a respectable hotel. (and if you appreciate that comment I’m guessing you’re over 60). In a town of 714 voters, he rounded up 514 signatures on his petition for a pub and in 1939 a poll was taken. The electors of Patchewollock voted 141
to 4 in favour of a watering hole. Finally, the efforts of Young and the community triumphed and the next year Patchewollock got its pub.
Eric and his wife Belinda took over the Patche on January 1st this year (2022). It’s his third and her first shot at running a country pub.
His first was the fabled Gaffney’s Creek Hotel on the Upper Goulburn in Victoria, scene of any number of stunt rides up the near vertical slope from the river to the pub’s usually quagmire parking area.
Eric bought the lease when he was 22 in 1984. “I was driving trucks and all the log drivers would stop there and it was busy, so it seemed like a good bet.”
It was but by the time the Gaffney’s Creek Pub hit the headlines big time - and for the last time in 1993 (see Sidebar) - Eric had taken over the lease of the hotel at Buxton, north of Marysville. He kept this one for fifteen years and had it during the fires of 2009. There’s an hilarious clip of him retelling the story of commandeering a bulldozer to cut a firebreak which saved a few houses and maybe the pub itself and then being threatened by local council with a charge of theft of the dozer. Just search YouTube for ‘Can I borrow your bulldozer’.
Anyway, Eric had another spell of truck driving but around mid2021 he was pretty much over it and being away way too often, Belinda saw a notice on Facebook that the Patchewollock Pub was on the market. She sent Eric a link. It sounded like the kind of thing they
were looking for and pretty soon they headed out to check it out.
Belinda: “We didn’t tell them who we were or that we were interested but we had a great night, really enjoyed the atmosphere and the locals and so when we got back home Eric contracted Bryce and Bec who had it and the rest is history.”
She continues: “It’s been a slog; I’m not going to lie. Everything was very basic and basic is okay, but a lot of stuff needed fixing, so we just got to work but the help we’ve had from the locals has been amazing.”
The pub has a unique square design with a yard in the centre. A good
few years back a local - whose son, Noodles, later became the model for the silo art down the road – donated a pool to the community and it got installed in the centre of the pub. Two local women taught the town’s kids to swim in that pool and when the previous owners decided it was too expensive to repair and maintain, and planned to fill it in, the community wasn’t too happy.
Belinda and Eric had an idea and after the annual pre-winter firewood day when all the locals head bush with their trailers to harvest wood for the pub’s fires then come back to stack it and enjoy a sizzle and free beers, they suggested the pool become the beneficiary of the weekly meat raffles. The locals embraced it, and the pool should be ready to go in time for summer.
While we’re chatting, we’re joined by Robin, a hugely respected and loved local whose grandfather came home from war in 1919 and like all diggers was given 640 acres. His family came from just east of here, so he had some experience on the land, and he succeeded where many others failed. Robin was born on the adjoining block and still lives on it.
He shares a story from the year before the Gaffneys Creek Pub went up when a bearing on a combine he was driving had an issue and not thinking too straight after 18 hours of harvesting he put his hand in the
wrong place and the belt chewed off his fingers. The heat cauterized the wounds – there was no blood - and his first thought was that he’d not be able to play his beloved guitar again.
An ambulance was called and eventually the fingers were partially rebuilt. Robin went on to what the rest of the bar call ‘fame’ as the star of car and tourism adverts and he’s not backward in pressing the young blokes to take a bit of bloody notice of Workplace Safety protocols.
The evening rolls on, Belinda disappears into the kitchen to start doing the meals, Eric keeps everyone
lubricated, Robin circulates, and spreads good cheer and Noodles comes in along with a bunch of other farm boys and family groups.
There’s no gambling to disturb and networking, the catching up and the sharing of news and mutual support.
A lot of the conversations turn to the music festival that’s being revived in October 14-16th after a Covid hiatus and sorting out how everyone can be involved.
Oh, and you were probably wondering - Robin did master the guitar again and along with headliners like Mick Thomas (ex ‘Weddings,
Parties, Anything’), Pete Denahy plus the General Jacksons, he’ll more than likely be strumming ‘un’ singing at some stage.
And that’s the over-riding impression you get of this place. Eighty-two years ago, the foundations of this pub were laid due to the efforts of the community and today that same pub and community underpin each other.
The Patche’s enjoyable but you’re wasting a great opportunity in this neck of the woods if you don’t make time for a squirt due east of the town. First place you’ll come to is
a town that’s missing some unique opportunities to cash in on its name. It’s just 15kms due east of Patche and it’s called ‘Speed’.
Let’s just say I’ve drunk champagne in Champagne, nibbled cheddar in Cheddar, had Turkish Delight in Istanbul, so what the heck. Besides, “but at the edge of town there’s a sign saying, ‘Welcome to Speed’, officer.”
Another (legal) half hour east and you’re at Lake Tyrrell, one of the larger pink(ish) salt lakes around here. If you’re after some rough camping or a more basic view of
PUB OF THE MONTH
THE DEETS
The pub currently opens from 5pm until late each day but if you’re coming through with a group of 6 or more, give a couple of days’ notice, and the doors (and the kitchen’ll be opened for you.). Otherwise, meals are on from 6-8pm.
There’s just two beers Carlton Draught and Black Fish on tap and a schooner’ll cost you $7.50.
Seven rooms available at $60 a night without ensuite and $80 with.All have aircon, a jug and their own fridge.You can throw your swag or tent out the back for ten bucks which
is taken off your meal or drinks. Parking is unlocked and open also at the rear.
If cracked concrete in the paths is an issue for you, then this is not your place but if fair dinkum honest friendly pubs without differentiation between 60-year locals and 60 second blow-ins is your thing, then you’ll like it.
Room rates for accommodation rather than ‘per head’ is a pet peeve of mine and helps rob this place of one helmet and earn in 4 from 5.
Value to money is just shy of 140 on our scale where 100 is acceptable, whilst for unique character it gets 5/5.
the place, take a left onto Saltworks Road otherwise just keep skirting the lake and then follow the signs to the viewing platform. Its colour varies with season and sunlight but it’s worth a visit anytime.
Then keep heading down the Calder Hwy and you’ll soon be at the town of Sea Lake (pop 60) with its painted silos and its rejuvenated pub. Now this, people, is a bloody gem in the desert.
And its story has strong echoes of the foundation of the Patchewollock Pub.
Up until about three years ago, Sea Lake’s beautiful Royal (what else?) Hotel had been shut for 18 months. Like the locals of Patchewollock 100 years earlier, folks at Sea Lake got jack of being incarcerated in a town less thirst quenching than its lake and decided to buy the joint.
Four dozen investors chipped in and bought it. They appointed 6 directors, rounded up – chiefly from within their ranks – the necessary tradies and labourers, filled 28 large skips with rubbish, sorted out a license, sub-let the restaurant side of things and flung open the doors.
It’s still a work in progress but damn it’s got a bloody good feel, looks schmicker than a rat with a gold tooth and has come alive. Inside it’s airy, spacious and well laid out. Out back in the beer-garden it’s comfortable and uncluttered.
Upstairs on the north-facing balcony you can catch the rays in a couple of hanging basket chairs.
There are ten accommodation rooms upstairs with a mix of doubles, singles and twins. No ensuites up here but shared toilets and showers plus a small kitchen and common room. There’s also a few rooms downstairs but I’m not sure of their noise factor.
The Juke restaurant downstairs is breaking out of the restraints of ‘pub food’ and the bar is breezy and open. Oh, and as if saving the pub wasn’t enough for this community, they’ve also bought the local hardware store and the post office. Little wonder the street vibe is so welcoming and warm. My schedule didn’t allow for staying here this time but next trip I’ll be basing around two nights at the Royal at Sea Lake. D
BURN IT DOWN
Peter Gibb was aVictorian crim who, with another prisoner,Archie Butterley, in March 1993 blew out a second-floor security window of the Melbourne Remand Centre using explosive smuggled in by Heather Parker, a prison warder whom Gibb was behind-bars bonking at the time. Parker had planted a getaway car outside the MRC and was waiting in another car further up the road. Butterley busted a leg descending out the window on the classic rope of sheets.
Gibb soon crashed the getaway car, hijacked a motorbike, crashed it also and then shot a pursuing cop, stole his revolver and escaped in (the front of) the police van. (This wasn’t organised crime).
The crims met up with Heather Parker, headed north-east and holed up in the Gaffney’s Creek Hotel where they hid the
injured and badly bleeding Butterley in one of the rooms.
Next morning they figured the best way to hide the blood stain trail from Butterley’s wounds was to torch their room before heading down river a bit where they were cornered near Jamieson. It didn’t end well.
Spectacular South Africa
Moroccan Magic
And unfortunately, the fire escaped the room better than the crims escaped the cops and the entire pub burnt down. It’s not been replaced but if you ever run into anyone who rode bikes back in the day, listen to their tales and just try not to shake your head.
It’s hard to believe, but this iconic image is now more than 20 years old. It’s a bit grainy; we took it on our first Andes tour, waaay back in the late 90’s.
Beautiful Baltics
ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411
TAKE ONE ROYAL ENFIELD Himalayan, strip it by taking the fairing off and fitting a smaller front wheel and essentially you have the new Scram 411. I headed to Queensland for the Australian launch and while I didn’t get to ride the bike for half of the launch (see breakout), my time on the new Scram was enough to discover what it’s all about – a crossover bike that can be used for adventure riding, city commuting and everything in between.
Sharing the Himalayan’s 411cc single cylinder Euro 5 compliant engine, the Scram gets along okay, but a bit more power and torque wouldn’t go astray. Another 5kW and 5Nm would transform this bike into something super fun – well, more fun than it already is.
Handling, thanks to the change from the Himalayan’s 21-inch front to a 19-inch makes turn in
much faster and, I found, more relaxing on rough roads with the change in geometry. Weighing in at 14kg lighter than the Himalayan makes a huge difference too. While carrying decent speed through turns you can also change your line, whereas with the 21-inch wheel you were sort of committed to the line you had chosen. One thing RE has overlooked with the smaller 19-inch wheel is the side stand. Its mounting hasn’t been changed so you touch it down through left handers quite easy and if you whip the bike over into a fast left hander it could catch you and kick the rear out – something to keep in the back of your mind.
To replace the fairing, a cast metal headlight cowl is fitted, and housed on top of this sits an offset analogue speedo and Royal Enfield’s Tripper navigation. A basic-looking setup but one that still houses all the essential info, and the Tripper
ROUGHING IT
Royal Enfield Australia gave us the ‘rough’ treatment at the launch – our night’s accommodation was under the stars at Qld Moto Park in swags. We did bring along our own sleeping bag, of which the trusty Coleman sleeping bag I received on a Harley launch many moons ago served well at keeping me comfy and warm. As I couldn’t ride on the first day I was in charge of building and maintaining the fire, which became a talking point towards the end of the night as the temperature dropped. I’d built a ripper!
Helping along on the ride was Salt Creek Motorcycles who also run adventure bike tours. Their ‘chef’ cooked up a mega tasty Massaman curry and the bacon and egg rolls for breakfast were to die for, as was the plunger coffee –something I miss in this day and age of coffee pod machines.
One thing I’ve learnt by attending new bike launches over the years is you remember the ‘different’ experiences and while swagging it out in the bush around a campfire would be how some of us would go adventure riding overnight with our mates, it was great to actually ‘rough it’ – it makes the experience more real.
LAUNCH
ALL THE GEAR AND NO IDEA!
You might notice in the photos of me that I’m not wearing my usual riding gear. Unfortunately, Virgin Australia lost my luggage on my flight to the Gold Coast. I had no idea when my luggage would turn up as they supplied zero communication.
I had to get a lift in the support wagon for the first day’s riding, and sit out the awesome off-road course at Queensland Moto Park and on the second day I borrowed a jacket and gloves from ‘The Enfield Guy’ (Jimi Swan) and a helmet from Tom (Urban Moto Imports). A big thanks goes to them.
This did allow me to experience what the Scram is like to ride, especially with the smaller 19-inch front wheel. Jimi and Tom must have had insider knowledge about the weather though, as it pelted down, and I was totally soaked - what fun!
Thankfully (I guess) my bag had been found and delivered by courier to the hotel we’d already checked out of (with Virgin Australia knowing I had already done so), so one of the guys from Salt Creek Motorcycles (helping with the launch) kindly diverted his route and grabbed my bag to meet me at their dealership for my flight home from Ballina.
You have no idea how good it feels to put on fresh clothes and at least brush your hair after three days!
So, the gear I should have been wearing was my AGV AX9 adventure helmet, Klim Badlands jacket, Macna winter gloves, black riding jeans and my brand spanking new TCX Comp Evo 2 Michelin off-road boots.
navigation is great to have if you’re unsure where you are going.
A one-piece seat, a change from the Himalayan’s two piece, is comfortable and set low at 795mm. For my long pins I did find the seat to peg height a little short, the seat to bar reach is now 60mm lower and 20mm closer placing a touch more weight forward. That makes the Scram more comfortable overall for many people, compared to the Himalayan.
As with the Himalayan, the Scram could do with a more powerful front brake, but so long as you plan your stops the single disc front is adequate for the job.
Royal Enfield is obviously aiming the Scram 411 at a younger market and
seven funky colourways are on offer.
My two favourites are the White/Red (White Flame) and the Blue/Fluro Yellow (Skyline Blue) versions. Pricing starts at a very reasonable $8240 ride away. It’s a hundred dollars or so cheaper than the Himalayan, so it will depend on what you want to do with your riding which model you’d buy.
Accessories are mostly in the name of protection – handguards, engine guards, oil cooler guards and so on.
In the process of stripping down the Himalayan to become the Scram 411, Royal Enfield has created a product that pretty much does everything a Himalayan does, but with slightly more ease and more comfort, and this is where the Scram 411 shines. D
BACK IN ISSUE #108 I tested the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV and found them to be a fantastic tyre for sport touring and fast road riding. I thought Pirelli had produced one of the greatest road tyres you could possibly get. I’m still mostly of that opinion, especially if you ride in all manner of weather conditions. But, if you want a tyre that offers even more grip and even faster turn in, the new Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa is the tyre for you - a true hypersport, high-performance tyre.
There are a handful of road-oriented tyres that can just about cope with the stresses and strains of a track day, while on the flipside, an even smaller offering of more specific track day tyres that can do a competent job on dry roads –the Corsa can do both.
The sportiest tyre in the Diablo Rosso family is aimed at super-fast road riding and track day enthusiasts. The Corsa takes the basics of the Diablo Rosso IV and as a compromise with less wet grip and mileage, it instead focuses firmly on dry grip, hard handling, and performance consistency, offering the best of both worlds in one premium tyre.
The world of motorcycle tyres has been forced to develop quickly over the past decade with the increase in power, torque, performance and, importantly, electronics. Pirelli is now 150 years old and has plenty of knowhow when it comes to creating a product to fit desired categories, and the Corsa is ideal for any machine that can hustle and that has a 17” front and a 17” rear wheel,.
whereas the shoulders are softer while still Full Silica. On the rear, the difference is in the shoulders where the 100% Carbon Black comes straight from the Supercorsa SC for maximum grip at maximum lean, and traction during acceleration from even the latest high power super bikes.
The traditional Pirelli ‘flash’ tread pattern appears distorted in the central area of the Diablo Rosso IV Corsa compared to the Diablo Rosso IV with the central section of the flash missing,
and this provides that all-important extra grip.
Both the front and rear use two different compounds split across three sections: two shoulders and a central band. On the front, the middle 45% of the tyre has a Full Silica compound
I only tested the Corsa on the road, fitted to my Suzuki Bandit 1250. With an ambient temperature of just 8 degrees at the start of my ride my thoughts were with the tyres’ ability to get into some kind of operating window, but there was crazy levels of grip virtually straight away. Later in my ride the temp had risen to around
Typical winter’s day – cold!
TEST
20 degrees and the Corsas were better again – like glue sticking to the road. There’s so much feel from the front and I could nearly wind the throttle as hard as I liked on exit of corners with the rear laughing at me trying to get it to spin – and not succeeding.
Thoughts after my ride - the front tyre is exceptional, the steering is light and little effort is required to turn the bike. It’s easy to get onto its side and maintain a line and push harder than just about any other road tyre. The rear tyre wouldn’t kick or squirm on super hard acceleration out of corners and if you were to use the Corsa as a track day tyre I dare say unless you’re in the ‘Red’ group (racers class) you wouldn’t want any more grip. If you are in this group you’d probably be running Supercorsas or slicks anyway.
Braking performance is outstanding and while really trying to go overboard and push the Bandit and the front tyre to the limit I was smashing the brake lever harder and harder until I was going to launch myself into space if I kept going.
For general road riding the Corsa is a touch stiffer in construction than the Rosso IV that I tested back in #108, but it is still comfortable, with lighter turn in. Even banging into corners with gravel the front and rear felt stable. I did get to do a small amount of wet weather riding and with less tread pattern than compared to the Rosso IV,
240km down.
the Corsa offers a bit less grip – as you’d expect.
Pirellis have a premium feel about them – that’s why I prefer to race with them and use them on every other bike I’ve owned. The looks, the tread pattern and even the neat 150th anniversary logo that appears on the sidewalls of this Diablo Rosso IV Corsa as the firm celebrates is century and a half of operation gives you the style all bikes
should have.
These latest and sportiest Corsa’s are a step up in super grippy road-going rubber that can also be used for track day work. They warm up quickly and retain their heat too while you concentrate on eradicating any chicken strip evidence, and finding apexes never hit before. Life of the tyre I guesstimate to be within the 3-7000km range, and of course this all depends on how and
where you ride.
The Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa is available in most popular sizes and ready to select at your local Pirelli dealer. Fronts start at $269.95 and rears from $299.95. You can check out the entire Pirelli range at pirellimoto. com.au. I fitted my tyres at D Moto Motorcycle Engineering, who are also a Pirelli dealer. Get in touch with them on 0490 486 322. D
It’s easy to get onto its side and maintain a line and push harder than just about any other road tyre
Rubber, ready to burn.
LIFE IS BETTER IN BOOTS
I hate to start this special feature off with a grim outlook, but have you seen someone that’s had their toes ground off because they weren’t wearing appropriate motorcycle boots? Well, they have trouble walking and even balancing depending on just how bad an injury they received. So, wearing proper motorcycle boots to protect those pinkies is a must, and it just so happens that the following are the latest and greatest motorcycle boots you’ll find in the country, from the distributors that want you to know about their product. SW
SPECIAL FEATURE BOOTS
-TCX BOOTS
tcxboots.com.au
Ikasu Waterproof Boots - $249.95
“Ikasu” is the Japanese term for “revive”. Catch the light just right, and the Ikasu WP Shoes will, indeed, revive your visual senses with their full reflective fabric upper.The Ikasu Waterproof Riding Shoes have a long list of features that includes impact mitigating D3O ankle cups, a reinforced crush resistant midsole and reinforced toe box. Lining the upper is TCX’s proprietary T-Dry waterproof liner that puts the kibosh on moisture intrusion.The Groundtrax outsole receives a rugged, self-cleaning tread pattern, and Ortholite designs the supremely comfortable footbed and insole. Engineered by TCX, the ZPLATE midsole balances resistance to lateral crush forces with good front-to-back flexibility for comfortable walking.The reinforced textile panels that form the upper are highly reflective for night-time safety and are trimmed along the toe and heel with suede leather.
Street 3 Air Boots - $229.95
High level of comfort for riding and walking that has good breathability for warm climates.The upper is made from suede and features breathable mesh fabric, the midsole has a ZPLATE shank, to optimize front flexibility and transverse rigidity and there’s reinforcements on the malleolus with D3O inserts and reinforcements on the toe and heel. Closure is via laces and an elastic band to store the laces.An OrthoLite footbed with long term cushioning and high levels of breathability make these boots super comfy and a wear-resistant rubber Groundtrax outsole is designed to offer superior stability.Available in 3 colours and sizes US 5-14.
Ikasu Air Boots – $249.95
Feast your senses on the zippered speed-entry system, unique throat lacing along the tongue and 3D textured perforated fabric. Combined, these elements will revive even the most lifeless riding wardrobe.The Ikasu Air Riding Shoes have a long list of features that includes impact mitigating D3O ankle cups, a reinforced crush resistant midsole and reinforced toe box. Matching the exterior is a mesh liner to boost airflow around the foot.The Groundtrax outsole receives a rugged, self-cleaning tread pattern, and Ortholite designs the supremely comfortable footbed and insole. Engineered by TCX, the ZPLATE midsole balances resistance to lateral crush forces with good front-to-back flexibility for comfortable walking.
Street 3 Waterproof Boots - $229.95
The TCX Street 3 Waterproof Motorcycle Shoe, comes with sufficient reinforcement and convinces with comfortable everyday design.A midsole with ZPLATE shank, to optimize front flexibility and transverse rigidity, reinforcements on malleolus with D3O inserts, reinforcements on toe and heel,T-Dry waterproof membrane, closure with laces, elastic band to store the laces, OrthoLite footbed with long term cushioning and high levels of breathability and a wear-resistant rubber Groundtrax outsole, designed to offer superior stability makes these one of the most versatile boots on the market.Available in 4 colours and sizes US 5-13.
SPECIAL FEATURE BOOTS
-TCX BOOTS
tcxboots.com.au
Drifter Boots$429.95
This boot is RUGGED! Built to take on the roughest of terrain, yet comfortable, easy to put on and take off, and DURABLE. Of course, the Drifter is not only rugged, durable, comfortable and great looking, it’s SAFE. CE-certified to the highest European standard, with protection in every area a full-on Adventure rider needs – especially in the ankle, heel and toe areas. Featuring a vintage leather upper with padded front and rear micro-fibre overlays to increase the level of comfort, a suede leather heat guard and high impact resistant Polyurethane shin plates, the Drifter also looks after your shins and calves, while the commando-style soles offer grip and security even in the toughest conditions. Comfort is aided by three 6060 aircraft quality aluminium buckles with micro-adjustable closing straps, a leather shift pad and replaceable anatomic inner soles.The CE-Certified TCX Drifter Waterproof is available inVintage Brown, sizes 36-48 Euro and 3.5-13 US.
Blend 2 Waterproof Boots$299.95
A stylish vintage leather boot that’s not only waterproof but offers high levels of comfort for riding and walking. Features include full grain leather with pull up finishing, rear reflective inserts for high visibility, reinforcements on ankle toe and heel,T-Dry waterproof membrane, fastening with laces, OrthoLite footbed with long term cushioning and high levels of breathability and a Groundtrax rubber outsole.
Hero Waterproof Boots - $379
Baja Waterproof
Boots$399.95
The Baja Waterproof boot is an all-weather, adventure, enduro ATV and light road riding boot.Waterproof, tough and super comfy. Wherever you’re going, grab a pair for your next ride! Available in Brown or Black and sizes EU 40–48; US 7–13.
The TCX Hero WP is a classically styled, yet waterproof boot and is now available in Black as well as the everpopular Brown. It features a full grain leather upper and a waterproof T-Dry lining that is breathable for all-weather riding. It has reinforced ankle, heel and toe areas with leather shift pads plusVelcro, zip and lacing closure for security and comfort. Get adventurous with the “ideal” commando type sole for ultimate grip in the urban jungle.Available in sizes Euro 36-48, US 3.5-13.
X-Boulevard Waterproof Ladies Boots$279.95
Stylish and functional, the Ladies X-Boulevard WP boots provide a level of comfort and safety not seen in such a fashionable and casual looking boot. Featuring a full grain leather upper with a soft touch waterproof membrane lining plus a reinforced ankle support and reinforced heel and toe counter. Get comfy with a zip closure, an adjustable leather band, an anatomical footbed and a specific grip area sole with a 4.5cm heel.Available in sizes EU36-41, US 4.5-9.
Street 3 Lady Waterproof Boots
$229.95
Same great comfort as the Men’s version, except the Ladies version is a specific fit for women’s foot shape and has a raised heel. Available in Black in sizes Eu 35-42 / US 4-9.5.
Street 3 Lady Air Boots - $229.95
As per the Men’s version with Women specific features just like the waterproof version.
SPECIAL FEATURE BOOTS
BOOTS mig.bike – Ph: 1300 916 916
Security Evo G3 Gp Boots - $Custom
One of the best-selling race boots, the Daytona Security Evo G3 GP boots are all custom made to suit the customer, they are made of tear proof kangaroo leather and a non-twisting aramid/plastic hard shell.The boots can be customised to whatever you like – colours, logos, permanent toe sliders.To give you an idea of just how good these boots are, Cal Crutchlow and Dani Pedrosa both wore Daytona inner boots as they are contracted by Alpinestars! Also, a lot of the TT Isle of Man riders use Daytona boots, one such rider being, Michael Dunlop. Price is subject to options when constructing the boot.To learn more about these boots, jump onto - daytona.de/en/ Boots/display/Overview-selection/Security-Evo-G3-Grand-Prix
Pace Boots - $149.95
Made from Nubuck Leather, CE certified with a reinforced heel and toe with integrated ankle protection, the Pace boot is ready for the road ahead.There’s also a comfort mesh lining, padded in-socks with memory foam, ankle protection with 4mm moulded EVA foam, vulcanized rubber sole, gear lever pad and lace closing system.Available in sizes 39 – 48.
Arrow Sport Gtx Boots - $500
Short shaft boots that feature a soft, water repellent and greased cowhide outer and they’re water resistant and breathable thanks to Gore-Tex More Season Membrane.Two-sided zip fasteners allow easy entry and removal and a double shaft cuff, reinforced gear change pad from abrasion resistant PU foam, PU foam sole with anatomic formed climatic insole, ankle protection, both sides, padded inside with open-cell special foam, 3M-Scotchlite reflector, plastic reinforced inner sole with a hot-dip galvanised steel inlay, which allows you to gently roll your feet and a soft rubber sport grip sole make these boots great for every type of road riding.Available in Black and sizes - 36 - 49 EU.
Grt Boots - $369.95
A sporty boot that is just as comfortable touring as it is on the racetrack.The upper is made in microfibre with the inside being fully lined with a breathable air-mesh.The heel cup, the front plate and the gear support complement the technical features of this new boot. Inner side elastic zip panel and wideVelcro allows a perfect closure of the boot.An exclusive dual compound and antislip rubber sole, replaceable sliders, anatomic and removable insole complete the high-tech details of these boots.Available ins sizes 41-47 EU. D
L O N G T E R M E R S
HOW SWEET IT IS…
Royal Enfield Classic 350
HOW DOES THE SONG by James Taylor go?...
“How sweet it is to be loved by you…” This must be exactly how our sweet little Classic 350 must feel. She’s loved by everyone who see her and when you ride her, she gives you all the thrills you need to be smiling. As I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter a bit the 350 is no roaring powerhouse, in peak hour traffic I am as content as can be.
She’s a good looker too as everyone around her stares and drools, some even have the courage to speak to her, but she just purrs along without a care in the world. As much as I love riding the
Classic 350 it is time for her to be replaced, this time with a Scram 411. I think I’m really going to enjoy the Scram as I’ll now have a long term bike that I can have a little play in the dirt every now and again.
To wrap up my time with the Classic 350 it had genuine Royal Enfield accessory touring seats, deluxe footpegs and engine guard. To me, there is nothing else needed to ‘enhance’ the classic look of the 350. This is a 50s motorcycle with a modern day twist and every time I’ve ridden it, I’ve pottered along with a smile on my face – is there anymore you could want.
SW D
HARRY
REMEMBER WHEN JAP
BIKES had all the power, but their handling was a bit wayward? No? You are probably too young to know what I’m on about if you’ve been brought up on a diet of Gixxer Thous and R1s. Old blokes like me would remember what it was like to see a Bimota or a Motoplast framed bike, maybe a Rickman Z1000. Heady stuff back in the day. Exclusive and Exotic but also Expensive. Harris was one of those firms, building steel frames from Reynolds tubing. Light and strong they were, and hard to get on this side of the world. Harris never stopped building frames, and right through the ’80s and ’90s their Magnum frames were sought after by ‘Specials’ builders. The power producer of choice was usually a fourvalve Suzuki GSX1100 donk, plentiful and powerful they were, and are still. But they had their time, and unless you were a bit left of centre you did the smart thing and bought a new sports bike, because the Japs had got it right, making frames that matched the power of their wonderful engines.
On The Shelf
You could buy these Harris frames from dealers throughout the western world, and that’s exactly what Berlin based Felix Pilz did, 20 years ago, after it had sat unloved and unused for a decade. Felix and his partner Martien Delfgaauw run a bike workshop called Berham, and in their spare time likes to build ‘Specials’, which is exactly what the Harris frame was designed for. Rather than cover up Harris’ exquisite workmanship, The pair decided to let it
CUSTOM
A very small tank allows trips to the coffee shop and not much else I’d reckon
all hang out, to put it on show. There would be no fairing, no bodywork to speak of. Had another Harris ever been built in this fashion? I think not. Now I’m not sure I’m a great fan of the style, I prefer race fairings, but it is what you’d call individualistic.
This bike only has the basics to be ridden. A very small tank allows trips to the coffee shop and not much else I’d reckon. Likewise for the seat, it’s hard and uncomfortable, by the look of it, so short trips are the norm for the rider of this bike, unless S & M is their hobby of choice.
Old blokes like me would remember what it was like to see a Bimota or a Motoplast framed bike, maybe a Rickman Z1000. Heady stuff back in the day
Tear Down
The red powder coat wouldn’t suit the overall theme of the build, so it was stripped off, revealed a wondrous set of bronze welds, themselves a styling feature for those with an industrious mind. The duo wanted the frame to ‘shine’, so they dubbed the bike Shiny Harry. Shiny, Harris, get it?
Berham’s had a 1981 GSX1100 in good nick kicking around so it was the logical engine to fit. Unfortunately, this Harris Magnum frame was designed for a Kawasaki Z1000 engine, so a bit of work went into making new engine plates. Nothing over the top for these guys. Early GSX-R750 forks slipped on, but they were shortened first. This bike was intended to see step action rather than street action, hence the tiny tank and pile inducing seat. That’s what the forks were shortened.
vIn-house fabrication: Footrest holders, tank, front brake disc flange, rear brake backing plate, battery casing, seat and front trim
Local firm KRT Framework lengthened the swingarm and a set of ‘Comstar’ wheels off a Honda CB900F Bol d’Or were grafted on. They really suit the bike, but I think they were probably lying around the shop like the rest of the running gear, so that’s what they got the nod rather than any stylistic or performance reason.
Drag bikes are meant to be light so the starter motor was ditched, replaced by two healthy pushers, and a lithium-ion battery replaced the heavy old lead acid one. Rear shocks were also given the spear, and now stainless-steel rods sit in their place.
A 1.5 litre fuel tank sits in the front end of the frame, so the coils and flat slide carbs hold court, the carbs finished off with alloy ‘trumpets’.
Plenty of time was spent on the lathe too, turning down fasteners and such, helping the bike slim down to a lithe 168 kilograms.
The duo debuted their bike at the Glemseck 101 Festival, held on the old Solitude racetrack in Stuttgart, Germany. Entered in the Sprint International Trophy class, the team actually won the drag race against many more fancied teams, including a Carl Fogarty on a Supercharged Triumph Thruxton R.
The power producer of choice was usually a fourvalve Suzuki GSX1100 donk, plentiful and powerful they were, and are still
The guys spent many more hours than they did Euros building this bike, but it shows enthusiasm can beat big budgets if you want it enough. D
10 DAYS VACATION
8 DAYS RIDING
OKAY, SO OUR MOROCCO tour for the second time now has been a bit of a non-event. Whatever is behind this – covid, travel restrictions, nervousness or whatever it has been, we’ve now decided to abandon Morocco for the time being with our Readers Tour now going to Italy!
I know many of you will be super delighted to join this tour and after speaking with the great folk at Edelweiss Bike Travel, they are super excited for this one too!
Just imagine…traditional pizza, pasta, wine, historical sights, beautiful roads and of course, great like-minded Australian Motorcyclist riders. What more could you really ask for?
Book now with peace of mind and let’s go have a good time!
Edelweiss Bike Travel says…
This tour through the land of the Etruscans and Romans is a dream for motorcycle riders and fans of culture, history and great cuisine. In 10 days we will discover the most beautiful sights of Italy –curve fun included!
Our tour starts in Rome, the “Eternal City”. From there, we will ride East to the “backbone” of Italy, the Apennines and the Monte Sibillini national park, before we will get enchanted by the Medieval city of Assisi. After a night in the microstate San Marino, we will ride over the mountain passes of the Alpe di Serra and Casentino and on to Florence, the “pearl of the renaissance” at the Arno river, where we will also have our rest day. A ride to the Mugello race track or rather some culture in Florence – you decide! The next day, Pisa’s leaning tower, the Mediterranean Sea and San Gimignano with its many towers are our highlights. Our next stop then is Siena, where we will marvel at one of the most beautiful squares of Italy, the Piazza del Campo. After a side trip to Chianti and a glass of good wine we will eventually reach Pienza, from where we will ride back to Rome.
A quick rundown…
Day 1: Arrival in Roma (Rome)
Day 2: Roma (Rome) - Assisi
Day 3: Assisi - San Marino
Day 4: San Marino - Firenze (Florence)
Day 5: Firenze (Florence)
Day 6: Firenze (Florence) - Volterra
Day 7: Volterra - Siena
Day 8: Siena - Pienza
Day 9: Pienza - Roma (Rome)
Day 10: Departure from Roma (Rome)
A quick rundown…
Day 1: Arrival in Roma (Rome)
Day 2: Roma (Rome) - Assisi
Day 3: Assisi - San Marino
Day 4: San Marino - Firenze (Florence)
Day 5: Firenze (Florence)
Day 6: Firenze (Florence) - Volterra
Day 7: Volterra - Siena
Day 8: Siena - Pienza
Day 9: Pienza - Roma (Rome)
Day 10: Departure from Roma (Rome)
The finer details
Included services
All overnights (comfortable middle-class hotels) during entire tour
Breakfast every day
2 picnics/lunches
8 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 (1 piece per person) and space for passengers (limited) on entire tour
Edelweiss Riding Tips
Services not included
All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature.
Optional Services
Optional deductible reduction on included motorcycle insurance (Cover All / Cover Plus) additional rental options prior or post tour on request and availability
Please note
This group tour is not suitable for people with limited mobility. D
The finer details
Included services
All overnights (comfortable middle-class hotels) during entire tour
Breakfast every day
2 picnics/lunches
8 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 (1 piece per person) and space for passengers (limited) on entire tour
Edelweiss Riding Tips
Services not included
All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature.
Optional Services
Optional deductible reduction on included motorcycle insurance (Cover All / Cover Plus) additional rental options prior or post tour on request and availability
Please note
This group tour is not suitable for people with limited mobility. D
The bikes
Price for rider in double room
$5130
BMW G 310 GS
BMW G 310 R
Honda NC 750 S
Honda NC 750 X
Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT
Yamaha Tracer 700
Price for rider in double room$5220
BMW F 750 GS (LSP)
Yamaha Tenere 700
Price for rider in double room$5370
BMW F 850 GS
BMW F 900 R
BMW F 900 XR
Ducati Monster 821
Ducati Multistrada 950 S
Honda CRF 1100 L Africa Twin KTM 890 Adventure (LSP)
Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT
Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
Yamaha Tracer 900
Price for rider in double room$5500
BMW R 1250 GS
BMW R 1250 GS (LSP)
BMW R 1250 R
BMW R 1250 RS
BMW S 1000 XR
The Bear Says
FORTHE MONEYTHIS IS A LAY-DOWN MISÈRE! WISH I COULD GO.
Ducati Monster 1200
Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Harley-Davidson Pan America Special
KTM 1290 Super Adventure S Triumph Tiger Explorer
Price for rider in double room$5650
BMW R 1250 GS Adventure
BMW R 1250 RT
Price for passenger in double room - $3430
Single room supplement - $490
OPTIONAL:
Guided City Tour in double room (Minimum participants: 1) - $440
Single room supplement - $60
The bikes
Price for rider in double room
$5130
BMW G 310 GS
BMW G 310 R
Honda NC 750 S
Honda NC 750 X
Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT
Yamaha Tracer 700
Price for rider in double room$5220
BMW F 750 GS (LSP)
Yamaha Tenere 700
Price for rider in double room$5370
BMW F 850 GS
BMW F 900 R
BMW F 900 XR
Ducati Monster 821
Ducati Multistrada 950 S
Honda CRF 1100 L Africa Twin KTM 890 Adventure (LSP)
Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT
Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
Yamaha Tracer 900
Price for rider in double room$5500
BMW R 1250 GS
BMW R 1250 GS (LSP)
BMW R 1250 R
BMW R 1250 RS
BMW S 1000 XR
The Bear Says
FORTHE MONEYTHIS IS A LAY-DOWN MISÈRE! WISH I COULD GO.
Ducati Monster 1200
Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Harley-Davidson Pan America Special
KTM 1290 Super Adventure S Triumph Tiger Explorer
Price for rider in double room$5650
BMW R 1250 GS Adventure
BMW R 1250 RT
Price for passenger in double room - $3430
Single room supplement - $490
OPTIONAL:
Guided City Tour in double room (Minimum participants: 1) - $440
Single room supplement - $60
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.We do reserve the right to cut them and, you do need to provide a name and at least your state, if not, town or suburb. Please address letters to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, 17 Weeroona Place, Rouse Hill NSW 2155. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
BARRY IS IN THE market for a Triumph Rocket 3 GT, but has one issue he needs help with. Let’s see what you, the reader has for him!
Barry you are the winner of awesome Motul Chain Pack, please send me your postal address.
Thanks, Stuart.
CUT THE SPRAY
Hi Stuart,
Picked up the latest mag (#115) & was delighted to see the Test of the Triumph Rocket 3GT.
I’m in the market to upgrade my M109r & like the looks of the Rocket 3 GT, but has there been any actual testing of this machine in the wet??
I’ve seen a couple of overseas UK reports (of course) & there are negative comments regarding the shorty rear guard with excessive road spray reported on damp / wet days with road grime & muck all over the rear of bike, panniers & the rider.
Having tested a couple of HD’s 114’s & a Victory 106 Cross Country Tour, that all left me a bit non plus (my apologies to owners of the brands for my lack of enthusiasm), the Rocket 3 GT is now top of my list, but I do feel the lack of a ‘proper’ rear guard is a real draw back.
I gather there is a couple of possible accessary rear-guard options, but it is a bit galling to need to fork out extra money after spending $37,000 odd & needing to rectify a styling que that detracts from using the bike all the year round in all weathers.
Any suggestions, feedback or advise on if this is really a problem
& a practical & viable fixes available locally from yourself or other readers would be appreciated.
Thanks for the opportunity to air this whinge, keep up the good work.
Regards,
Barry Regan
Hi Barry, I haven’t had the fun of doing a full test of the R3 in the rain, however I have ridden it on damp roads. I didn’t experience the road spray you mentioned, but I have no reason to doubt that it could be an issue – any bike without a decent (short) guard on the back will do this.
I guess when you’re shelling out that kind of money another $500 or so is certainly a pain, but isn’t over the top to modify the bike into how you want. A longer rear guard might even be less than that?
You could try various forums or Facebook pages to seek help in finding a solution, but I will also put it out there to the readers, for who has fixed this problem on the current Rocket 3 GT.
Cheers, Stuart.
SECOND BEST JOB?
Hi mate,
Yup 2 years subs sorted..
Thanks for the personalised message for a great mag. The best. I have the (nearly) best job (I reckon highway patrol on a bike would top it, but I like my mates... Ha ha) of being a postie during the week, digging up peoples lawns, on my postie bike, and riding my 2009 1200XB Buell on the other days... Down in the Shoalhaven…Gods country, being an ex-Sydney bloke. Anyway, cheers for being a GC along with the rest of the staff of
your brilliant mag. I am now very interested to add to the stable, a new CF Moto 800 adventure option so savings are happening!!
Cheers again.
POM.
Hi Pom, Good stuff, mate. You’ll enjoy the CFMoto 800.
Cheers, Stuart.
A WHAT?
Stuart
Great piece of creative writing to turn a sow’s ear into a purse. A design that looks like it came out of a motorcycle drawing competition for gifted 5 year olds and specs that make a sewing machine look sexy, it is going to be a hard sell. And then the PRICE - double most other offerings with better specs and range. You do wonder how this got the production go ahead.
Cheers, Phil
Hi Phil,
Like many manufacturers electric vehicles
continued on page 106
continued from page 104 ...
are coming and coming fast. Will they be the future? I’m not so convinced, but at this time expect more weird and wonderful electric shocks.
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.
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.
in the hotel I was staying at so arrangements were made for a roll away bed to be put in the room.
FRIGHT NIGHT
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.
Hi Stuart,
The Bear’s tale of his experience with a CPAP machine brings back amusing memories.
Twenty years, when living in FNQ, ago my partner and I were being visited by my partner’s sister and her husband (Wynn) from Canada.
I had to go to the Gold Coast on business and Wynn was to stay in Cairns for four days with the two ladies.
All was good until we went to bed around midnight and found that the power cord of Wynn’s CPAP machine would not reach the nearest power point. After a call to reception, an extension cord was delivered.
he has a firm grip on his nether
A BOUQUET FOR BORIS
essential trips within the confines of the figures of the people that die daily from
During the second day I had a call from Wynn explaining his state of boredom and could he join me on the Gold Coast? That was fine except that when he arrived no accommodation was available. I only had a single room
After about 2 years I decided to fit find that it did catch the attention than surrounding traffic and being who does traffic riding every day through the traffic you tend to not
Wynn was wearing his CPAP mask and straps and looking something like Hannibal Lector when the extension was delivered. The concierge took one step inside the door, looked at me and then at Wynn in his mask and straps, came to totally incorrect assumptions, and disappeared out the door as quickly as possible! It would have been most entertaining to be a fly on the wall in reception when he returned.
essential trips within the confines of the figures of the people that die daily from
essential trips within the confines of the figures of the people that die daily from
Regards, Bruce Thompson
Greetings from Gloucester, Just a quick well done for Boris in relation to the instructions for Jack Millers party on page 116 of issue #114.
The instructions were clear, very easy to follow and to my reading of
them not confusing or ambiguous in any way. A bit of a rarity these days to get clear instructions. If only all rides and rallies could be set out so precisely.
I also tend to agree with his article in issue #115 about changeable engine modes. Just set it and leave it alone because you’re not in that small percentage of professional riders who can use it properly.
Good magazine.
Cheers, Neil, Gloucester.
RIDEET UPDATE
Hi Stuart,
Just an FYI below if any other readers may be after an item from Rideet. I was thinking of buying the tyre pressure monitors and if I get a set, I will see how they go and let you know.
Keep up the good work with the Mag.
Regards, Tony Matthews
Hi Tony,
Thank you for contacting us!
Yes, sales in Australia is planned for early September - you will be able to purchase from the website with express shipment to Australia.
We’ll notify you once the option will be available.
Thank you and best regards! Rideet Team
Hi Tony,
Thanks for the info, mate! I will put this in letters.
Cheers, Stuart.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Hi Stuart.
Your editorial on EV’s is quite thought provoking. Charge times, discharge/use time, weight, nobody really talks about these things in a serious fashion. I agree we, as a society, should not just focus on electricity as the ultimate panacea. Mind you though, I don’t think I want to ride a bike powered by hydrogen either. With today’s technology and
private enterprise’s willingness we should be able to overcome some of these issues in a timely fashion. We just need to stay focused on the future.
Yes, the popular opinion is “Save the planet, Stop mining” but these necessary minerals have to be extracted from the ground. Mining can be “green” by powering the operation with Green Alternative Fuels more easily than powering transport as we know it today. I’m not sure I agree with your battery composition example though, we have invested in companies that mine Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel and Gold and they are digging up parts of West and South Australia. No mention of salt. Again you are correct, recovery rates: ie ore per tonne excavated: is very low, often less than 10g/1000kg rock. The answer is out there, I’m sure, but it will definitely mean letting go of the past.
Cheers, Peter Glasson
HAVE A BEER, BEAR
SINCE I WAS IN Europe anyway to ride the Alps with my good friends at Edelweiss Bike Tours, I thought I’d pop over the border to Czechia – the folks who live there don’t like it to be called the Czech Republic – and follow up on some of my old travels.
By far the most interesting of several visits I have made to the Ch… to Czechia was just after the fall of the Iron Curtain, more than 30 years ago. I was editor of the Australasian Beer Guide (tough gig) at the time, and I wanted a look at the way breweries operated under Communism. Since I particularly liked their beer, I thought I’d drop in on Pilsener Urquell. Armed with a letter of recommendation from a friend who was a senior brewer at Warsteiner, West Germany’s bestknown brewery, I rode across a border between Germany and (then) Czechoslovakia that was still being dismantled, to Pilsen.
Even though that was a long time ago, let me thank BMW Motorrad in Munich who lent me a K 100 RS for the journey. Very enjoyable it was too.
I introduced myself to the bloke sort-of responsible for dealing with outsiders – in Eastern Europe, they didn’t have PR, press or even marketing managers, and Urquell was still sorting out how and what they were going to be doing in this new world. He very pleasant and spoke excellent German, which was good because to this day I don’t speak Czech.
He showed me around the operation, which turned out to be very much like an Australian brewery fifty or sixty years before. Just about everything was manually operated, which meant that the brewery had a large staff. That wasn’t a bad thing in a
communist country, where everybody is supposed to have a job, but was obviously going to have to change with the introduction of capitalism.
The most interesting part of the brewery was a set of drives into the limestone it was built on. These were wide, cool tunnels lined with huge wooden barrels, where they were maturing the brew. With stalactites
worry about it,” I said. “You brew pretty much the best beer there is, right? Before long, people are going to come from all over the world with large amounts of money in their hands, and they are going to beg you for the opportunity to become your importer in their country.”
His face cleared. “Do you think so?” I reassured him that I did, and we had
“Back in 1988, I would have stopped traffic in the main road of Pilsen. This time? Nobody even looked twice.”
dripping from the low, rough ceiling and an uncertain wet footing among the aged barrels it was quite an adventurous walk. Very memorable, though, and I still recall it with pleasure.
After the tour, my new friend and I sat down to sample some of the product. He looked at me with some embarrassment and said, “You know how the beer business works in the West.”— “Yes, I suppose so.”—“Tell me something. How do you sell beer?”
“Bitte?”—“We have never had to sell our beer,” he said with a worried frown.
“The trucks come, and we load our production onto them, and they go again. They are no longer coming because the system has collapsed. How are we going to sell our beer?”
“I really wouldn’t
a few more Urquells to celebrate. By the look of the brewery these days I was right. It’s like a beer lover’s Disneyland and the prosperity wafts off it along with the invigorating scent of hops. That isn’t the only difference I found in Czechia.
For this visit I borrowed a black Indian Challenger which had been used for Germany’s first attempt at bagger racing. It still had all the sponsorship stickers on it along with bright green decorative panels. Back in 1988, I would have stopped traffic in the main road of Pilsen. This time? Nobody even looked twice. But though they may be blasé about motorcycles now, they still brew the best beer in the world. D
N E W B I K E P R I C E S
S1000XR
ost prices exclude dealer and on road costs, however some are ride away – ask your local dealer for the best possible price!
APRILIA
aprilia.com.au
* All prices are ride away
$27,975
S1000XRCarbonSport $29,290
ADV TOURING
G310GS
F750GS
F750GSTour
$8090
$13,590
$17,305
F750GSLowSusp $13,840
F750GSTourLS
F850GS
F850GSRallye
F850GSRallyeX
F850GSTour
BENELLI
benelli.com.au *All Benelli prices are ride away
DUCATI
ducati.com.au
*All Ducati prices are ride away ROAD ScramblerIcon
$17,005
$17,990
$18,390
$22,305
$21,805
F850GSLowSusp $18,240
F850GSRallyeLowSusp $18,640
F850GSTourLowSusp $21,505
F850GSA $TBA
R1250GS $23,490
R1250GSRallye $24,940
R1250GSRallyeX $29,890
R1250GSExclusive $28,140
R1250GSSpezial $31,390
R1250GSA $25,490
R1250GSARallye $26,390
R1250GSARallyeX $31,590
R1250GSAExclusive $30,790
R1250GSASpezial $30,540
SCOOTER
C650Sport $14,150
C650GT $14,990
CE04 $TBA
BROUGH SUPERIOR
broughsuperioraustralia.com.au
SS100(Euro3)
BMW
bmwmotorrad.com.au
$105,000
SS100(Euro4) $110,000
PendineSandRacer $105,000
CAN-AM (BRP)
can-am.brp.com
Ryker
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
harley-davidson.com
$13,799
SpyderF3 $29,299
SpyderRT $39,299
CF MOTO
cf-moto.com.au
ROAD
NEW BIKE PRICES
SpringfieldDarkHorse $35,495
ChieftainDarkHorse $38,495
ChieftainLimited
ChieftainElite
ChallengerDarkHorse
RoadmasterLimited $41,995
Roadmaster $42,995
KAWASAKI
kawasaki.com.au ROAD
Z125ProKRT
Ninja650/L $10,959
Z650RS $11,759
NinjaZX-6R636
LAMBRETTA
lambrettaaustralia.com.au
MOTO GUZZI
www.motoguzzi.com.au
*All
MV AGUSTA
mvagusta.com.au
HUSQVARNA
husqvarna-motorcycles.com/
indianmotorcycles.com.au
ADV TOURING
Versys650/L
KTM
ktm.com.au
*All KTM prices are ride away ROAD
200Duke $5470
RC390 $7515
890Duke $16,185
890DukeR $19,090
1290SuperDukeR $28,395
1290SuperDukeGT $32,035
1290SuperDukeRR $TBA
ADV TOURING
890AdventureRRally $TBA
1290SuperAdventureS $30,620
1290SuperAdventureR $32,130
KYMCO kymco.com.au
PIAGGIO
piaggio.com.au
PEUGEOT
peugeotmotorcycles.com.au
ROYAL ENFIELD
royalenfieldaustralia.com
*All Royal Enfield prices are ride away
ROAD
Meteor350Fireball
Himalayan410E4
Himalayan410Base
SUPER SOCO
supersoco.com.au
*All Super Soco prices are ride away
ROAD
SCOOTER
SUZUKI
suzukimotorcycles.com.au
ROAD
GSX-S125
GSX-S1000
GSX-S1000GT
GSX-S1000PanoramaGT
GSX-R1000R
GSX1300RHayabusa $27,690
SM650R $9490 ADV TOURING
Superdual
TRIUMPH
triumphmotorcycles.com.au
*AllTriumph prices are ride away
ROAD
Trident660
StreetTripleS660
StreetTripleR
StreetTripleRS
SpeedTwin900
BonnevilleT100
Scrambler900
Bobber
URAL imz-ural.com.au
$9990
$13,690
$14,990
$18,140
$19,950
$16,390
$18,450
$18,750
$22,750
Speedmaster $22,750
BonnevilleT120 $21,100
SpeedTwin1200 $21,250
ThruxtonRS
$26,150
Scrambler1200XC $23,690
Scrambler1200XE $25,190
SpeedTriple1200RS $28,490
SpeedTriple1200RR $32,390
SPECIAL EDITION
StreetTwinEC1
$17,150
T100Goldline $19,190
T120Goldline
$22,090
StreetScramblerGoldline $19,490
BobberGoldline
$23,790
SpeedmasterGoldline $23,790
Scrambler1200XCGoldline $24,690
Scrambler1200XEGoldline $26,090
T100BudEkins
T120BudEkins
ThruxtonRSTonUpEdition
Tiger1200Alpine
Tiger1200Desert
Rocket3R221Edition
$18,000
$19,900
$27,150
$27,250
$28,750
$35,850
Rocket3GT221Edition $36,850
LIMITED EDITION
StreetScramblerSandstorm
Tiger900Bond
$18,990
$31,290
SpeedTwinBreitlingEdition $31,190
CRUISER
Rocket3R
$35,490
Rocket3GT $36,550
ADV TOURING
Tiger660Sport
Tiger850
$14,990
$18,250
Tiger900GT>Low $21,250
Tiger900Rally $22,390
Tiger900GTPro $24,250
Tiger900RallyPro $24,890
Tiger1200GTPro $29,990
Tiger1200GTExplorer $32,600
Tiger1200RallyPro $31,800
Tiger1200RallyExplorer $33,950
VESPA
vespa.com.au
*All
SCOOTER
SCOOTER
TRIUMPH FACTORY CUSTOM (TFC)
triumphmotorcycles.com.au
*AllTFC prices are ride away
ROAD
Rocket3TFC
S
WORDS BORIS MIHAILOVIC
THE INEVITABILITY OF CHANGE
HUMANS ARE NOT BIG fans of change. Change discomfits us. If things are bad, then we hope whatever change comes will benefit us and make things better. If things are good, then we immediately see change as a bad thing. And so we bounce between hope and trepidation. Such is the human condition.
Some insurance company even based an ad campaign around our fear of change. It showed what its marketing team saw as a typical Australian family, headed in a typical Australian way by a middle-aged, coffee-sipping, smugfaced Karen staring into the middle distance, while her typical Australia family enjoyed its glorious and joyous life in the house behind her. The tagline? “Life unchanging” – but only if you buy their insurance.
It’s bullshit. Of course it is. But our change-averse lizard brains squirted a bit anyway.
Motorcycling has undergone profound changes since I first threw a leg over the wretched things back in the 70s.
The bikes we now ride are spectacular in every way. Sure, there are still some grospy, wet-eyed old fools who look fondly back upon the “Good Old Days”. It’s almost like they enjoyed being brutalised by an SS900
likewise improved out of sight. GoreTex makes it possible for us to push through hypothermia, Kevlar lets us keep more of our skin – and the advances in materials science have seen off the army surplus great coat. One can only applaud that.
I now own boots that do not leak. Ten years ago, this was a hope. Twenty years ago, it was a dream. Thirty years ago, waterproof boots were the ravings of a mad-man, or they were gumboots.
But there have been alleged solutions to problems that have never existed, because that is the nature of technology.
The advent of key fobs is a good example. Utterly pointless.
Drop your bike key in a creek, fish it out, wipe it, ride on.
Drop your bike fob into a creek and see how you go.
I’m not a fan. In what way was the ignition key deficient in its performance that we needed to invent an invisible power beam requiring batteries and coddling to replace it? Ever tried to poke the excess marijuana back into the joint you just rolled with a fob?
The same is for this new wave of “smart” helmets. Tech-headed kids have sprung massive erections over this tech-gimmick. For that is all it is.
if it is ultimately counterproductive. Helmets should be getting lighter and aiming for the sub-1000gm mark. That is what actually makes them “safer” in a huge variety of situations, never mind reducing rider fatigue. Loading them up with gimmicky techno bullshit is not the way forward. Are there already not enough mindless YouTube rider POV videos of some gronk’s wobbly commute or shameful cornering? Brother, unless you’re doing something entertaining, like smashing into a truck, going off a cliff, or running from the cops, please stop polluting the Internet with your boring rides.
Electric bikes are also a thing. They are not coming. They are here. But I’m of the view Australia will be one of the last countries to embrace them. There are a few reasons for this. Our motorcycle community can be likened to a medieval village stubbornly conservative and resistant to anything revolutionary. There are still goblins honking about ABS, for pity’s sake.
So, when a new thing appears, like an electric bike, pitchforks are taken up, torches are lit, and the mob moves forward to lynch the witch, so to speak.
That aside, Australia has, at the moment, a shitty infrastructure to deal with electric vehicles. And our distances are vast. So, while there may well be a take-up of electric bikes in urban areas, it’s going to be a while before the regional areas start to embrace them.
But battery technology is improving all the time, and our rulers will, eventually, address the infrastructure needed for us to more fully accept the silence of the electric bike.
With some luck, I will maybe have another 15 or so years of riding left in me. That’s quite a long time in terms of technological advancement, and I very much look forward to see what lies in store.
Because while I am not a fan of change, I understand it is utterly inevitable. And probably Chinese. D
It’s the hottest trend right now… “Quiet quitting” Cartoon by Jock
Authentic heritage meets modern technology for power, style, and the unadulterated riding experience –around town, on the freeway, or along country roads.
Powered by the Milwaukee-Eight™ 114 big twin engine. A powerful, smooth-running engine with crisp throttle response and a pure, soul-satisfying rumble.
The Fat Boy™ 114 is the original fat custom icon. It commands the road with a steamroller stance, fresh-for-2022 wheels and an all-you-can eat portion of sculpted bright chrome for even more impact.
H-D.com/Test Ride Book a test ride
BOOTS
Don’t grind them, protect them!
YAMAHA MT-10 SP
Are you man enough
ROYAL ENFIELD HUNTER 350
Picko heads to Bangkok for the world launch
HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOW RIDER ST
Stripped down and ready to race
ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411
The Himalayan strips its clothes off
PIRELLI DIABLO ROSSO IV CORSA
Talk about sticky!
THE JOURNEY OF LIFE IS BETTER IN BOOTS, MAKE SURE THEY’RE MOTORCYCLE BOOTS! –Stuart
Editor Stuart Woodbury
Contributing Editor J Peter Thoeming
Sales Manager Chris Pickett chris@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Designers FriendsLoveDesign.com
Photographers Nick Wood Creative, Half Light Photographic
Contributors Nick Edards, Robert Lovas, Boris Mihailovic, Ralph LeavseyMoase,The Possum, Colin Whelan, Nick Wood, Bob Wozga
Australian Motorcyclist magazine is published by Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. 17 Weeroona Place, Rouse Hill NSW 2155. Phone 0412220680
This publication is copyright. Other than for the purposes of research, study, criticism, review, parody or satire and subject to the conditions prescribed under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without the prior written permission of Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. Opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent those of Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted by Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd or the editor for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or advice contained in the text or advertisements. Readers should rely on their own enquiries in making decisions tailored to their own interest.
We encourage you to keep or recycle this magazine.
E D I T O R S P E A K S
TRIPPING
AS YOU’RE READING
THIS, I have just got off the plane after riding three of the highest motorable roads in the world with Royal Enfield as part of their Moto Himalaya experience. Three small groups from around the world took part. The three Aussies (which includes me) were Group 2, along with seven Indonesians. This has been one of my bucket list rides for such a long time I’m super happy to have completed it. The last bucket list trip I did was riding from Cairns to Cape York. I did that as part of the BMW GS Safari Enduro five years ago. The other bucket list trips I’ve done include New Zealand South Island, which I’ve now done a number of times and an adventure trip in the Victorian High Country which was always something I wanted to do and ticked off years ago.
The one trip I still want to do is ride the Road of Bones in Russia. Sure, this is virtually impossible at the moment due to the crazy Russian fighting, but the history behind the making of the road where some 250,000 people died making it, and their bodies are buried just below the surface kind of sounds a little morbid, but the challenge of making sure you’ve timed it right is what interests me. If you get your timing wrong the weather and the road can kill you as it gets colder than you think possible, or as hot as hot can be and the road turns to slush and will eat
you. If the mossies leave anything. Moto Himalaya started out of Leh, India and went up to 5500m (18,300ft) and I must tell you the altitude was a test of mind and body for most of the group. I’d always heard about altitude sickness and the weird things altitude can do to you, and you can prepare for it all you like, but you’ll never truly know how you’ll react until you’re faced with it. I was lucky and it didn’t affect me at all. I was puffed once after waddling like a duck in my motocross boots up a set of steep stairs at Khardungla Pass.
Luckily a Doctor was along on the ride as most of the participants needed oxygen or injections to battle the altitude. Before I left, my doctor told me to be well hydrated with water and that also means no alcohol a number of days beforehand, to only drink sealed bottled water and to take Panadol for any onset of feeling sick or a headache. He also prescribed me a sickness tablet in case of the dreaded, Delhi Belly – thankfully I didn’t get that either.
So, The Bear and I have now got back from riding overseas and the world is back to pre-pandemic life. I must ask, what are you waiting for, you only live once and why let a bit of a cold stop you (if you catch Covid that is), it doesn’t seem to bother the rest of the world.
Cheers, Stuart. D
The KLR650 motorcycle is built to empower your passion to escape and explore. Dual-purpose capability allows the journey to go on-and-off-road, and a reputation for enduring reliability helps you focus on the adventure at hand. For decades, this legendary motorcycle has inspired countless stories from all over the world, and the spirit to make new memories continues to beckon today.
KLR650 (Pearl Sand Khaki)
KLR650 Adventure (Cypher Camo Gray)
RAISING THE BAR
Suzuki’s raised the adventure bar yet again with a more diversified Suzuki V-STROM 1050 platform that includes – for the first time – a flagship model dedicated to maximising off-road performance with a 21-inch front wheel, switchable ABS and a special gravel traction control mode.
The two new-generation models are theV-STROM 1050 and the harderedgedV-STROM 1050DE, which will go on sale in Australia by March 2023. For customers who pre-order, there’s also a mouth-watering hard luggage bonus offer.TheV-STROM 1050 will be available in a single livery – Metallic Reflective Blue/Metallic Matt Black – and retail for $22,990 ride away.While there’s a choice of three two-tone liveries on theV-STROM 1050DE – Champion Yellow/Metallic Matt Sword Silver, Pearl Vigor Blue/Pearl Brilliant White or Glass Sparkle Black/Metallic Matt Black – and the premium model will go on sale for $24,690 ride away.
With its 19-inch (front) and 17-inch cast-aluminium wheels and heightadjustable seat and screen, theV-STROM 1050 is aimed at the adventure-touring
GET A FREE CUPPA
To reduce the risk of driver/ rider fatigue on NSW roads, participating businesses are donating a free cuppa to drivers/ riders travelling through regional NSW between 1 March and 31 May each year.These businesses
segment by maximising comfort and performance over long distances, while the ‘tougher’V-STROM 1050DE goes further with a set of distinctive features aimed specifically at enhancing off-road capability.
In addition to the 21-inch front wirespoked wheel, Gravel traction control mode and the means to switch off ABS at the rear, theV-STROM 1050DE further differentiates itself from the V-STROM 1050 with a longer wheelbase, wider handlebars, steel footpegs, less aggressive steering geometry, a stronger drive chain, solid-mount seat, aluminium engine protection, new front fender and a standard-equipment protection bar.
TheV-STROM 1050DE also has longer suspension travel and more ground clearance than its sibling, as well as a smoke sports windscreen for maximum visibility.
The Gravel mode retards ignition timing to allow slip when riding on unsealed surfaces, promoting not only greater confidence but also ratcheting up the enjoyment factor.
The traction control can also be switched off, which is the same function available
LIKE A RED FLAG TO A BULL
Harley-Davidson turns up the intensity on an iconic styling theme with the introduction of the Low Rider El Diablo model, the latest offering in its limitededition Icons Collection program. In a nod to an American West Coast custom styling trend, the Low Rider El Diablo model combines lean performance and sport-touring versatility with a stunning panelled hand applied paint scheme and the sonic power of Harley-Davidson Audio powered by Rockford Fosgate. Global production of the model will be limited to a onetime build of 1500 serialised examples, scheduled to be available in Spring 2022, with pricing of $39,995 in Australia and $42,750 in New Zealand.
on theV-STROM 1050.
Australians can reserve theirV-STROM 1050/DE in a special on-line pre-order campaign – and score big!V-STROM 1050DE customers will receive a free genuine aluminium luggage kit (hard panniers and top box), while theV-STROM 1050 will come with a free genuine aluminium top box.
are listed at freecuppa.com.au. Drivers/ riders can show their licence with a home address 100km away or more to receive a free cuppa.They can be driving for work or recreation. It
Build and reserve your newV-STROM 1050 by visiting suzukimotorcycles.com. au and experience the ‘BuildYour Bike’ feature.
doesn’t matter.
Remember that coffee is no substitute for rest. Free Cuppa really just want you to stop and take a break. We feel this a great initiative and encourage all of you to get out there for a ride, take a break and enjoy a cuppa.
N E W S GET YOURS…NOW!
Although the great folk at Edelweiss Bike Travel are still enjoying a perfect Indian summer, they’re making plans for 2023.As of today, their full program for next year is online and bookable! And thus, you can book all European motorcycle tours from the 2023 program with a €200 or $250 discount until 31 October 2022 now, just use the online booking code: EBB2023. Meanwhile the brand new 2023 brochure filled with all tours and information you need to know about Edelweiss Bike Travel is on its way to you! If you haven´t signed up yet, jump onto edelweissbike. com/en/form/?c=CAT3 to either order your free print version or if you´d rather have a digital version you can of course download it directly from the website.
Edelweiss want to surprise you with several new tours for next season!
The scouting Dubai & Oman, which was successfully carried out this year, has been added to the program.And another pearl in the middle east has made the Edelweiss program,Adventure Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which includes the most fascinating highlights like Petra and Wadi Rum. edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=ADO – Adventure Dubai & Oman edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=ASJ – Adventure Saudi Arabia and Jordan
Talking about adventure, in cooperation with Touratech, Edelweiss will offer the first guided off-road Adventure Country Tracks (ACT) Tour in the Pyrenees - edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=UPP
What about riding aVespa and exploreVienna and the gentle surroundings in lower Austria? Then you should definitely check out theVienna Tour by Scooter! edelweissbike.com/en/touren/?c=2VE
MAGICIANS INSIDE
iPone Full Protect is claimed to be THE product to have in your workshop and the secret to have a beautiful functional bike. Six functions in the one can, they include…
1. CLEANS AND DISSOLVES RUST
Full Protect restores the rusty metal parts of the motorcycle such as the exhaust, the exhaust manifold or even screws.To restore a rusty part, spray the product and rub with steel wool.
2. REMOVES MOISTURE
Full Protect leaves a protective film against humidity on all the mechanical parts of the bike and prevents oxidation and corrosion of the metal parts to keep a beautiful and shiny bike!
3. RESTORES CORRODED ELECTRICAL CONTACTS
No matter if you want to discover the highest passes of the Alps, rugged Iceland, the Tibetan high grounds or the beauty of Asia and Africa by motorcycle, Edelweiss are convinced you should be able to find a tour that will make your dreams come true.
NEW ADDITIONS
SW-Motech’s new SysBag Water Proof range is sure to impress. 100% water and dust proof.The range includes a small, medium and large sized bags all the way from 5.5 litres up!They can be mounted to side luggage racks, by use of the new SysBag adapter plate, or strapped to rear racks. An inbuild M.O.L.L.E system allows for attachment of smaller accessory bags. See the entire range at motorradgarage.com.au
Full Protect also prevents the oxidation of electrical contacts. It can be used preventively or to restore contact if necessary! For example, you can use it on connectors, control pods, electric motorcycle battery connectors, light bulb sockets, etc.
4. RELEASES JAMMED MECHANISMS
As a powerful penetrating oil, Full Protect releases screws and lubricated clutch cables and throttle tubes… And if you’re struggling with your clutch and your buddies are waiting for you, Full Protect will get you going again!
5. LUBRICATES
Full Protect lubricates mechanical parts for optimal operation, more fluidity at a professional level! It lubricates various components, such as ball bearings, needle roller bearings, footrest axles, suspension links, screws, rear wheel axles, gear selector and much more.
6. CLEANS
A multi-purpose spray for precise applications. Its multi-position diffuser allows wide spraying or precise application with the rod. It is practical for reaching and treating areas that are difficult to access. It also folds and unfolds in one movement. Grab a can or two at your local bike shop or visit iponeoils.com.au Full Protect is available in 250ml or 750ml cans.
ANIMALISTIC E
EVER SINCE THE YAMAHA MT-10 was released (around six years ago) I have loved riding each new year model and version – they’re an animal of a bike that makes you giggle like a schoolgirl whenever you twist the throttle. The bike you’re reading about here is the top-level SP version, now even closer to sister, the R1-M, yet higher in spec! That is, until the new R1-M is released shortly…
Yamaha’s MT-10 SP has always been more than just a stripped down R1-M with straight bars. It’s the only naked from Japan that can compete on equal terms with the best from Europe in the fun stakes, while costing less.
That’s all thanks to the crossplane crank engine’s monumental torque, wailing MotoGP soundtrack and its superbike sister’s lust for corners. But at the same time, it’s comfortable and easy to get on with. Its rivals have moved the game on over the years, but so has the 2022 Yamaha MT-10 SP.
It’s never had the pub-bragging power figures or graceful looks of its European super naked rivals, but the Yamaha MT-10 SP has always been more exciting and simpler to ride.
I feel the new look has upped the game, but what the 2022 model does give you is a monstrous amount more pant wetting excitement in the midrange, which makes it even more animalistic, especially with the extra induction roar bellowing in your ears – oh yes, oh yes!
Better still its new electronics can be switched off when you want to enjoy the MT’s fruits to the full.
This next evolution of the MT-10 SP is equipped with a refined Euro 5 friendly version of the legendary CP4 crossplane engine with increased power and producing a stronger feeling of torque. The updated 2022 design benefits from lightweight aluminium forged pistons, offset conrods and direct-plated cylinders in order to ensure maximum efficiency, and has a number of new modelspecific features that are designed to
enhance the feeling of torque.
To boost the road-focused midrange, steel conrods are used rather than the titanium components used on the R1, and the moment of inertia at the crankshaft is increased.
Fuel injection settings have been changed for an even higher level of linear torque between 4000 and 8000rpm – and the design of the intake and exhaust systems is also modified to give the MT-10 SP a more thrilling and unique character.
Fuel economy is claimed to be improved also thanks to a reduction by one tooth for the rear sprocket, but I was pretty heavy on the throttle so my 8.11L/100km is still thirsty. You do notice the need for a few more revs when taking off from a standstill, but if you wanted to add the one tooth back on it’s an easy change.
Yamaha’s development team has custom-made a new tuned intake sound for the 2022 model by the use of an all-new air cleaner box that is equipped with three intake ducts with different lengths and cross sections.
Each duct produces a different intake sound, and they are designed to resonate harmoniously at varying engine speeds to create a unique intake roar that enhances the overall riding experience.
In particular, the tuned intake is specifically designed to produce a sensual roar between 4000 and 8000rpm that reinforces the MT10’s enormous torque feeling when accelerating hard or powering out of a turn.
The big-torque experience is heightened by the new Acoustic Amplifier Grilles that are positioned
on the front left and right of the 17-litre fuel tank. These amplifiers transmit the tuned induction sound directly to you, and the vibration of the grilles themselves also contributes to the thrill and excitement when you open the throttle.
A new titanium exhaust features newly designed titanium downpipes and muffler, it also has four catalysts up from two (for emissions), which has upped the overall weight of the SP by 2kg to 214kg. Like the new tuned intake, the exhaust has been designed to emit a deep and distinctive sound that emphasises the bike’s uneven firing sequence –while it is a smidgen louder than the old model, it’s still super quiet – as it has to be in this day and age. An aftermarket Akrapovic full system would soon have you blasting the street with a Fabio Quartararo M1 MotoGP symphony. You can choose from two slip-on accessory mufflers if you wish.
All of the updates have increased power by four kilowatts and torque by a wholesome one Newton Metre. It’s no R1-M in terms of outright speed and it doesn’t need to be; the insane thrust between 4000-8000rpm feels more like an earth-moving big-bore V-twin than an inline four, which is what makes it so thrilling on the road, although the throttle response can be aggressive at town speeds in PWR-1. PWR-2 was a good all-rounder and PWR-3 and 4 lacked a bit of feel.
Electronic Brake Control (BC) is designed to give increased controllability during mid corner riding, and independently modulates and controls the pressure being
applied to the front brake and rear brake. You can select one of two modes: BC-1 mode is a standard ABS-active mode, while BC-2 is designed to operate in mid corner emergency braking situations. I didn’t like BC-2 at all, it takes away some of the power and feel of the brakes, which is never a good thing, even with the new Brembo radial master cylinder and braided lines new to this model. I actually thought there was something wrong when I first took off from Yamaha HQ, until I pulled over on the side of the road and switched to BC-1, which feels more how a bike like this should.
Electronic Ohlins SV forks and shock are higher spec than are fitted to the current R1-M until the new model is released, however it does lack a little bit of feel on automatic mode A-1, A-2 or A-3, with A-1
A track day or three or four would be an absolute hoot on the SP
obviously being the hardest and the A-3 the softest. I found level A-2 the best for all-round enjoyment, but as there are so many adjustments I’d have to have many more weeks of riding this latest SP model to reap the benefits and get it to a place where I was happy in one of the manual modes, of which there are three as well. In saying that, on level A-2 I could push as hard as I liked through tight twisties and fast open sweepers – you do get used to the ‘electric’ feel the automatic modes give.
Helping the handling be faster on turn in, a 3mm longer rear spring and taller-profile rear Bridgestone S22 (up from 50 to 55 section) pushes more weight over the front wheel and raises the seat by 10mm to 835mm. The wheels are also lighter, but it would be near impossible to feel the difference unless riding the old model back-toback. Side valves for ease of use are fitted to the lighter wheels too.
Further to the electronics fitted to the SP, a 6-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) has now evolved into a smaller and lighter box. The IMU features two sensors that
measure 3-axis angular velocity: pitch, roll and yaw – and three-axis acceleration: forward/backward, up/ down and left/right. So sophisticated are the electronics you won’t really know what’s doing what, other than it is working to give you the safest and fastest ride you can have.
Lean sensitive traction control, slide control, lift control, brake control, Yamaha ride control all contribute to how the system works on entry, turn in, apex, transition to power and exit from corners –top technical stuff! You can also change all of this through the instrument panel to how you like it.
A new look for the MT-10 SP might not have the exquisite detailing of its more expensive rivals, but the Yamaha SP is robustly built, the SP Icon Performance colour scheme while the new three-piece bellypan adds a touch of exclusivity. Yamaha has overall kept its divisive, arachnid styling, but a slimmed down, pared to the bone look really has improved it in my mind. The frame, taken straight from the R1, has the old model radiator shrouds removed as well. If you look closely at the old model and this new one you’ll see a thread and cut away just below the tank – this denotes the frame pinched from the R1.
All of the updates have increased power by four kilowatts and torque by a wholesome one Newton Metre
The tank is now smoother and the seat firmer for added feel, but its roomy, almost supermoto-like riding position remains. New LED
headlights are shrouded by more faired-in plastics and the remodelled air-intakes look the business.
Comfort is a great mix of just weighted wrists sitting upright and the pegs a little sporty as they need to be. A track day or three or four would be an absolute hoot on the SP.
When it’s time to cruise the long boring sections of road cruise control is standard and there’s now a speed limiter. A super sweet up/down quickshifter, which was previously an accessory is now standard as it should be.
The 4.2in colour TFT which replaces the old LCD dash isn’t allsinging and dancing as you might expect. There’s no connectivity which seems to be ‘The Thing’ nowadays –
Specs
YAMAHA MT-10 SP
MODEL: Yamaha MT-10 SP
PRICE: $27,349 (ride away)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: 998cc liquid-cooled in-line four cylinder, 79x50.9mm bore/stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
POWER: 122kW @ 11,500rpm
TORQUE: 112Nm @ 9000rpm
is this a good thing? Yep. On a bike as crazy as this you need to know what’s going on, not listening to your music or having the misses telling you to pick up some bread and milk on the way home. Don’t worry though, there’s so much that can be changed within the settings you won’t have time to get bread or milk.
As with previous generations of MT-10 SP there’s a long list of accessories to choose from including Akrapovic exhausts, tank protectors, comfort seat, hard luggage, crash protection and loads more goodies. If you want every other motorcycle rider envying your ride, the MT-10 SP will growl, bark and demolish them in its wake - an animal that wants you to experience the thrill. D
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, chain final drive
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 8.11 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 209km
COLOURS: Icon Performance
VERDICT: Rip your shirt off and get wild!
Punting the passes of the Alps
TRAVEL
The roads can be narrow, but the buses are wide.
THERE IS QUITE A lot of competition for the “best motorcycle roads in the world”. I play the game myself, but I am honest about it: I remember that the best roads are generally the most recent ones I have ridden. Thinking about that a few months ago while we were still in the grip of covid, I realised that I could not really be fair because I had ridden relatively few roads and passes in the Alps.
Why not? I have ridden through the Alps several times, and I have also spent a bit of time exploring the Dolomites – a section of the eastern Alps, mainly in Italy. But the other trips have all been through the mountains, on the way to somewhere. So I have tackled the Stelvio, the San Bernardino and a couple of other passes, but I have never been on a ride specifically intended to ride me some o’ that there high country and the passes associated with it.
Time to change that, and seeing that we were looking at an easing of covid restrictions in the not-too-distant future, time to make actual plans.
The “how”, as it turned out, was not a problem. You know whom I mean when I write “the people who make our lives easier”. They are the ones will fit you in for a tyre change when you want to go away on the weekend but don’t have time to do the job yourself; they will pull a spare part off a showroom bike if you need it and they don’t have it in stock; they will take the trouble to draw you a map, complete with fuel stops and campsites, for that ride into unknown territory.
And if they are tour operators, they will organise a holiday tour for you in a strange place, on another continent and in a language you don’t speak or understand.
Australia is not the worst place in the world for a motorcyclist to be stuck when international borders close, but it’s not the best, either. There are a lot of places to ride which do suffer from two noticeable deficits: one is in variety of scenery, the other is in vertical variety. So it was not surprising that my thought turned to the Alps when we looked like coming out of our covid restrictions. You can’t put a front wheel out of a
Cool tunnels were welcome in the heat.
garage door without finding yourself on amazing roads in spectacular scenery. I do mean “amazing”, by the way. Alpine roads range from six-lane tollways through both good and bad two-lane blacktop and old concrete military roads to ancient single-track pass trails.
Below the tree line, the Alps have beautiful, shaded
I have been using the same tour operators for years, and in this case the obvious choice was Edelweiss Bike Tours. They not only fit the above description, but like all good tour operators they will also make sure that you have the bike you want and that you don’t miss the best roads and attractions on your tour. Not only do I have a lot of experience with Edelweiss – this was my eighth trip with them – but the Alps are their home, and they offer a remarkable variety of tours there of different lengths and with different onand off-bike attractions.
roads.
The Ultimate Alps Tour picks out many of the best passes and other Alpine roads. That was exactly what I wanted, of course, to increase my high Alps experience
Edelweiss invites me on a tour each year and I don’t pay for it, except for personal items like drinks. I get other invitations too, but I regularly accept the ones from Edelweiss because I know that I’ll come back with a positive report for you, which is in truth the real point of these trips. I love them, but I do them for you!
There are unexpected benefits, too. I hadn’t realised it, but as a bonus when you take the Ultimate Alps Tour with Edelweiss, they are just the people to improve your time and style through hairpins. I reckon that after this tour I was easily twice as fast, and I even
A hot but coollooking Bear in his Rukka suit.
Water is almost as important a feature as rock.
Here’s Oetzi, the Ice Man. The museum display is terrific.
looked pretty slick. Hope it lasts!
When I arrived at the starting point in Seefeld, in Austria, I knew what to expect. Edelweiss has a well-honed procedure for the beginning of a tour. A relaxed get-together midafternoon which includes a thorough briefing in whatever languages might be required is followed by the handover of the bikes. This is your chance to check that the bike is exactly what you wanted, and to make any adjustments necessary for your riding style.
I had specified a BMW F 750 GS just like my bike at home, and that was what I got – except that it wasn’t identical. It was a ‘Sport’ model, which appeared to be somewhere between the two different 750s we get in Australia with the TFT screen but key, not fob, operation. Still the same great touring bike.
After motorcycle familiarisation it’s dinner, where you get an opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers. They were all from the US in this case except for one Canadian bloke, and were the usual pleasant North Americans you find overseas. I had been on tour with three of them before, and that gave the
Markets in the towns add wonderful colour.
trip an even more convivial atmosphere. The Ultimate Alps Tour picks out many of the best passes and other Alpine roads. That was exactly what I wanted, of course, to increase my high Alps experience. The first day was an excellent introduction: we tackled the Reschenpass, 1504 metres; the Stelvio, at 2758 metres the highest pass in the eastern Alps; the Passo d’Eira, 2209 metres; the Forcola di Livigno, 2315 metres and finally the Bernina Pass
at 2328 metres. Each of the passes is different, with roads that range from a continuous succession of hairpins to long, gentle curves following the shape of the mountains.
In some cases you don’t realise that you’ve reached the top of a pass, because you reach the altitude so gently. In other cases it’s a matter of hairpin after hairpin. That last description fits the famous Stelvio, which I have been known to
And on the subject of lakes: here’s a moody one at sunset.
Queuing for one of the hairpins on the Stelvio.
disparage, but our guide Michaela introduced us to a new attraction at its top: Bruno’s hot dog cart. Bruno provides awesome rolls holding as many as four hot dogs each, and whether you go for the plain ones or the bratwurst you get value for money.
Next day our guide was Daniel, who told us that we would be riding through the Swiss Motorcycle National Park. That’s an unofficial title, he admitted, but the ride made good anyway. The distance by air between Pontresina, where we had spent the night, to our next overnight stop at Brunnen on Lake Lucerne was only about 100km, but the road distance
was more than 330km. Pretty much all of the day’s ride was taken up by a string of passes including the Splügen Pass and the San Bernardino which is not especially high at 2067 metres but which is definitely one of the most outstanding passes to ride.
After a ferry crossing in the morning, we had a gentle introduction to the western Swiss Alps before tackling the Susten and Furka passes. One attraction along here that didn’t especially work for me was the walk inside the Rhone Glacier, the start of the Rhone River, which is melting at an alarming rate. I didn’t fancy a long walk downhill to the canvas-covered entry. It looks more like a disheveled tent from above. The view across the valley made up for it.
That night we stayed in Zermatt, a town that bans internal combustion engines. You park well outside and catch either a shuttle or the train into town. Once there, I didn’t actually think the lack of petrol engines made much difference – just me, just me. The air was nice and clear, admittedly, and the giant stone pillar of the Matterhorn that overlooks the village was as sharp as a dagger. I seem to have a talent for picking out hot days for my
Bruno waves his sausage over our guide Michaela.
Edelweiss tours. The previous one I had taken was unique – at the time – for the 40 degree days in Eastern Europe. This one – bingo! – matched that, but this time in the Alps! I was wearing my Rukka Shield-R suit, which I have found not only effective but also comfortable in all sorts of weather conditions. With the jacket open, it even did the job in these temperatures… but it was hot.
More amazing roads, more passes, more glaciers and lots more pleasant lunch breaks and evenings in quality hotels* enjoying quality dinners (Edelweiss picks up the tab for these) and we arrived for a rest day and then our last night on the road, in Bozen/ Bolzano. The signposting arrangement here is a little like Canada’s, except the languages are German and Italian instead of French and English. I headed off to see Oetzi, the ice man. Terrific display with good explanations, and you can see the 5000-year old body of the man himself through glass in a temperature-controlled chamber.
The tour kept best of the passes for the last day with Timmelsjoch at 2509 metres. I regret that I had never ridden this one before, and I intend to correct that on my next tour to Europe if I can. The approach from the Italian side is especially spectacular. And not only that, there is a brilliant motorcycle museum at the top. Admittedly you have to pay to ride the pass, but it’s easily worth the 15 Euros. The museum costs the same, and it was impressive enough that I’ll write another story about it.
Now I seriously have to consider the Alps alongside New Zealand and Norway for the “best motorcycle roads in the world”… D
*Hotels are among the things that tour operators can do especially well because they know the places touched on their tours. I thought I might include a list so you can check them out on the interwebs; pillions, especially, find them quite interesting. Please note that there wasn’t a dud among them, although I do need to mention one thing: this ride was during an unprecedented European heatwave, and hotels over there generally do not have air conditioning.They are set up pretty well, but sometimes it would be wonderful to just feel that wash of icy air across your body…
‘ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK makes a hard man humble…”, so the song goes. Hard I am not, but humbled I was as I sped furiously through Bangkok city on Royal Enfield’s new Hunter 350. Here I was on a bike designed for city life, and outstandingly capable of doing so. The humbled part comes from witnessing the thousands of motorcycles blasting through the cityscape at seemingly insane speeds, and me being a part of that insanity on the Hunter.
All this manic activity was part of the world launch of the Hunter 350, Royal Enfield’s latest, and dare I say it, most modern feeling and looking motorcycle. Five years or so in the making, the Hunter 350 uses the Classic and Meteor 350 as a loose basis. Apart from the J series 350cc single cylinder engine, the Hunter is literally an all-new motorcycle, styled to suit hip young city dwellers - who probably have never heard Murray Head’s 1980s classic - but engineered for a wide variety of ages and abilities too.
Royal Enfield has really pushed back into the western world’s motorcycle scene in the last half a decade or so. No longer the niche manufacturer of classic looking bikes for the budget conscious, and with a dealer network operating out of hokey little shops, at least in Australia, RE has set the world alight in recent times, especially with the 650 Interceptor/Continental GT range which has become one of the biggest sellers of any motorcycle model in the world. With a well-built motorcycle at a great price point. RE has done it again with the Hunter 350. A well-built, well finished motorcycle, at what should be a great price point and perfectly suited for its target market.
A team of Indian and British designers/stylists and engineers have worked steadily on the Hunter for the last five years. It seems, to me at least, that RE started on this
modernisation trend when it bought Harris Performance some years ago. Harris Performance was, and still is, one of the world’s leading aftermarket motorcycle chassis designers, and has been around for 50 years. What that gave RE was access to modern chassis technology and ideas, and the engineers behind them.
This J series engine might not boast much of an increase in horsepower from the previous 350 RE engine, and in fact it’s only got one HP more. The biggest technical difference is in going to overhead cam and chain drive. It’s still a two-valver, with a counter balancer shaft. It has fuel injection, a one point rise in compression (8.5:1 to 9.5:1) and so on but the big difference is the way it’s packaged. Never before has a Royal
A team of Indian and British designers/ stylists and engineers have worked steadily on the Hunter for the last five years
Enfield engine looked so modern, at least to me. It feels modern too, not like a high revving, low to mid capacity water-cooled parallel twin like you’ll find in most bike shops selling Japanese brands. It’s not like that but you never get the impression the J series donk feels ‘archaic’ or outclassed.
On paper the 20.2hp (15kW) and 27Nm of torque might not excite you but it’s designed to suit certain world markets where outright power means little while usability, and perhaps styling, means everything. Think every major sprawling metropolis in the world. This is where the bike is designed to shine.
With the Hunter 350 being the final bike in the trilogy of new 350 models, RE wanted it to be the raciest, funkiest styled, and most
WORLD LAUNCH
capable of the three. At least that’s the impression I got from the launch rave party in Bangkok. The styling is certainly retro but modern all at once, and the marketing hype was aimed squarely at the younger set, those with full heads of hair, stylish beards, tanned skin, beautiful bodies… You get the drift. It’s aimed at everything I’m not, but it suited me too. Who would have thought?
“One Night in Bangkok
The 17-inch wheels with 140/70-17 and 110/70-17 CEAT tubeless tyres, ABS with a single 2-piston caliper up front, 41mm forks, and preloadadjustable twin shocks are all regular bike fare these days but the cast alloy wheels are a departure from the norm for RE. One thing that impressed me, besides the styling, was the high level of finish on the bike. What looked like ceramic coating adorned most
parts of the bike, and this enhanced the real ‘blacked out’ look of the Hunter 350. I especially liked the coating on the exhaust and the way it followed the frame angles to almost make itself invisible.
And then it was time to sample the maelstrom of Bangkok nightlife. Not the bars, the streets! Even at 9.30pm the traffic outside our hotel was intense. Our lead rider, ‘British
makes a hard man humble…”
George’, raced superbikes back home and said to me, “Can you guys ride? I lost the last group in two sets of lights last night.” “Well, um, I guess we can all ride,” I replied. Here we are, about to risk life and limb on a bike we have never ridden, not even around the block. There wasn’t going to be much between despair and ecstasy.
George had obviously taken me at my word and got stuck right in
straight away. I made sure I was on his back wheel. I did not want to get lost. I couldn’t see too many street signs in English. The only Thai I knew was Sawadee Ka, which does not mean, ‘Can you take me back to my hotel’. Anyway, straight away I felt very comfortable on the Hunter 350. It’s a full-sized bike. I’m a shade over six foot and it fitted me nicely. Within 20 minutes of riding like a madman
trying to keep up I had realised the bike actually felt great to ride. The brakes were well up to the task, the long stroke engine felt punchy enough, and flexible too, because at times I found myself in too high a gear and the bike would just keep going without the need to shift down or start slipping the clutch.
It steered nicely too, no doubt the
We sampled it all. Dodgy back streets, freeways, the city, everything. Not once did the bike display any signs that I was asking too much of it
chassis designers at Harris knew their stuff. Before too long we were all seemingly at ease with our machines, so George upped the already fast pace into something approaching frantic. It was almost as though he wanted to drop us off. No probs, the bike handled everything. Young George had already spent three weeks in Bangkok doing this route, so he was well within his comfort zone no
doubt. We weren’t there yet but geez we were having fun. You could tell by the looks of pure enjoyment on the faces of the other riders that we were all having a blast on this bike. On the way to the Impact Speed Park go kart track, we rode through China Town at 10pm with thousands, and I mean thousands, of people squashing the road down to one lane. We found ourselves in the back blocks dodging stray dogs and then on numerous occasions we were jumping flat top bridges. We sampled it all. Dodgy back streets, freeways, the city, everything. Not once did the bike display any signs that I was asking too much of it.
Then at midnight or thereabouts, I was cutting laps on a go kart track, having a ball. Getting around the track was easy enough and the bike felt fine being pushed. Some riders thought the CEAT tyres didn’t “inspire confidence” but I never found them unsettling. Sure, there were times on the road ride when we were ‘hustling’ through some tight bends that the ‘unknown’ nature of the tyres was in the back of my mind, but nothing they did really warranted that. Weighing in at 181kg wet, the Hunter 350 is no tiny bike but not overly
WORLD LAUNCH
heavy either. It felt light to ride, it was easy to change direction on the track, and the only time it touched down was on the right hand side. Overall the track experience was a fun one but bear in mind I didn’t want to poleaxe myself. We left that to later groups. I do believe one group of four riders all crashed in the track session. Maybe a bit too much Banzai throttle.
From there it was another hour or so blast back to the hotel in the city. Almost unbelievably, George seemed to up the pace again. We were riding these Hunter 350s flat out and both we and it were loving it. At one stage we saw an oriental beauty in tight shorts and tank top riding a ZX10R and giving it the business from the lights...only in Bangkok. We got back to the hotel around 2.30am and I was so wired I couldn’t sleep for hours. I wasn’t sure if I felt an angel sliding up to me or a devil walking next to me. I am sure this little 350 impressed the hell out of me though.
With a few hours sleep we were up to again sample the delights of Bangkok traffic on the Hunter 350. A different lead rider and the pace was subdued slightly from the night before. Somehow this felt slightly more dangerous. Maybe we were old hats by now. A ride to the airport had the RE crew negotiating with police, more photos and more traffic mayhem.
While the Hunter 350 may be designed for big city life, I’m confident it can handle Australian conditions equally well. It will sit at
freeway speeds without issue and give riders a lot of fun along a winding road, where you can freely use all the bike’s potential rather than using a third of a big bike’s performance.
There are a handy number of accessories designed for the Hunter. My favourite setup was the bar end mirrors, small screen and the taller seat option, giving taller riders an inch (25mm) more seat height than the standard 790mm seat. You can buy the accessories separately but there are a couple of different
Specs
ROYAL ENFIELD HUNTER 350
MODEL: Royal Enfield Hunter 350
PRICE: $TBC
I wasn’t sure if I felt an angel sliding up to me or a devil walking next to me. I am sure this little 350 impressed the hell out of me though
accessory packages available. Plenty of colour schemes are available too. I particularly like the Rebel Blue and Rebel Red.
No Australian price has been listed yet and it is anticipated bikes will be in showrooms just before the end of the year. I really think this bike will be popular with learner riders and those looking for a funky city bike, where the retro styling and high-quality finish will be a big attraction.
I hope you enjoyed some of the One Night in Bangkok song lyrics throughout the story and you get to sample the same feeling through your city on the Hunter 350. D
Four wheel studs instead of five. Save where you can!
but you might remember that Ernst Degner won Suzuki’s first-ever world championship on the 50cc RM62. Ernst Degner? Isn’t that an unusual Japanese name? Yes it is, because it isn’t. Degner originally worked for MZ before defecting and taking the East German company’s racing secrets to Suzuki.
It was a sad moment when, on the 12th of December 2008 after many attempts to keep it going the MZ factory in Zschopau closed, after 88 years in the same town.
MZ had done well in many different kinds of racing, and from just across
The vent is held on with self-tappers.
Even the grille looks as if it’s grinding its teeth.
the border in Czechoslovakia, the communist Czech-built CZ defined motocross in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster each built their early legends on the CZ brand.
But back to four wheels. Some 3,800,00 of the cardboard (actually Duroplast – same thing, more or less, except derived from waste fabric) bodied, transversely-mounted 601cc, two-stroke, twin cylinder, independently suspended Trabi were built, so maybe it also deserves some respect. Then again, maybe not.
Did they get any respect? Just after the Wall fell, I was returning a test bike to BMW in Munich. It was a Sunday, so I was handing it over to the guard on the gate. Sitting smack in the middle of the driveway was a Trabant. When I asked the guard about it, he said, “Ah, they come over from the East in these with a fistful of cash and buy a Six Series, and they leave their crap cars for us to dispose of.”
One more. I can’t help myself. Why do Trabis have heated rear windows? To keep your hands warm while you push them. D
HIGHLIGHTS
Riding Provence, Gorge du Verdon, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Carcassonne, Luberon villages, Vercors, Pont du Gard, Millau Viaduct, Grasse
TOUR DATE MAY 27 - 11, 2023
MOE TO TRARALGON, VIC
I’m the man who grabs the sun, riding to Valhalla!
THIS IS A GREAT little route that takes in some history of a once gold mining town and some beautiful corners. A normally pretty quiet route on most days, which makes it even more relaxing.
MOE
Moe at the western end of Latrobe Valley is home to beautiful 19th century buildings and heritage sites. Step back in time to the 1850s and visit Old Gippstown, Gippsland’s Heritage Park. Stroll along the streets with authentic old buildings, horse-drawn carriages, agricultural machinery, and a general store. If you’re into walking, walk along the Moe to Yallourn Rail Trail taking in the diverse sites of the bushland, lakes and distant mountain views, as well as the imposing Yallourn Power station. Enjoy the scenic walks of the Edward Hunter Bush reserve or visit the nearby Old Brown Coal Mine Museum in Yallourn North.
The town offers good shopping and dining, with nearby bushland and lakes providing great recreational activities for visitors. Moe also serves as a gateway to the historic goldfields at Walhalla and the snowfields at Mt Baw
Baw and Mt St Gwinear.
MOONDARRA
A landmark for this route. The name Moondarra arose from the Moondarra pastoral leasehold (c1850), and it is thought the word was derived from an Aboriginal expression concerning rain or thunder.
ERICA
If you ride a mountain bike, Erica
is for you, with numerous MTB parks and trails. Generally known as Upper Moondarra in the early 1900s, the township of Erica began to grow after construction of the railway line from Moe to Walhalla, which passed through the area. When the station opened in 1910 it was named Harris, but had been renamed Erica after a nearby mountain by 1914.
The township of Erica lived mainly
WORDS – STUART • PHOTOS – VARIOUS
MOE TO TRARALGON, VIC
WALHALLA, VIC
There are a number of ways to get to Walhalla, but for this ride I was coming from Melbourne and turned to head north at Moe off the Princes Highway. Ride north on Moore Street out of Moe, which takes you to the roundabout to turn left on the Moe-Walhalla Road Head through Moondarra. At Parkers Corner there is a sign to Walhalla. Do not take this turn but keep heading north on
Thomson Valley Road
Ride up toThomson Dam and continue on to the ‘T’ intersection.This looks more like aY-intersection but either way you need to turn right on the gravel road. Follow Walhalla Road all the way to the gates of…Walhalla. Make sure your teeth are painted chrome. Check out the cemetery where everyone is buried on a 45 degree slope, or check out the
Goldfields Railway
Continue on to the end of Walhalla Road and turn left on Tyers-Walhalla Road and follow all the way to Tyers Turn right onTyers Road and cruise on into Traralgon and the ride is done. Distance – 126km Fuel – Moe,Tyers,Traralgon Information – Gippsland Country Tourism: visitgippsland.com.au
from forestry and agriculture, and owing to Walhalla’s decline by the 1920s was the largest town on the Moe-Walhalla railway. The section of line past Erica closed to traffic in 1944, save for occasional goods services to Platina station, and the line from Moe to Erica closed completely in 1954.
Erica still maintains agricultural and timber industry connections, as well as being a service town for local tourist destinations such as the Thomson Dam, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway, Mount Baw Baw and Mount St Gwinear.
RAWSON
While a stones throw off this route, Rawson has plenty to offerbushwalking, hiking, adventure bike exploration, mountain biking, trout fishing, whitewater adventuring, historical exploration, cross-country skiing, gold fossicking, deer hunting, and trail bike riding.
BAW BAW
Landmark for this route.
THOMSON DAM
The Thomson Dam is a major earth and rockfill embankment dam with a controlled chute spillway across the Thomson River. The impounded reservoir is officially called Thomson Reservoir, sometimes Lake Thomson.
Despite opposition from conservationists and farmers, plans for the dam were originally approved in late December 1975 to provide Melbourne with water security. A dam on the Thomson River was preferred
because the river had a large flow, high water quality and was elevated enough to provide water to the upper Yarra system by gravity flow.
Early work in the early 1970s saw construction of a 19-kilometrelong tunnel through the Thomson Yarra divide to allow water from the Thomson River to flow into the Upper Yarra Reservoir. Work on the dam itself commenced in 1976 and the dam wall was ready to contain water by 1983.
The tunnel, which is located at the northern end of the reservoir, allows water to be transferred west to Upper Yarra Reservoir and then on to Silvan Reservoir for distribution as drinking water in Melbourne.
Downstream releases from Thomson Reservoir pass through a 7.4 MW hydro power plant, at the base of the dam which generates electricity and feeds it into the state power grid.
JAY’S LOOKOUT
Worth a stop to have a look around.
WALHALLA
Once one of Australia’s richest towns and home to over 4000 gold seekers, this sleepy mountainside town is now frozen in time and is home to
only 20 residents. Walk through the lovingly restored centre full of heritage buildings, try your hand at panning for gold, or take a tour of the surrounding area.
Revel in the history that followed the discovery of Cohen’s Reef, a three-kilometre vein of gold running through Walhalla. Learn about the tough lives of miners, pan for gold down at Stringers Creek, and then explore the old hotels, shops, school and churches built in the 19th century when the town was at its peak.
Take a ride on the Walhalla Goldfields Railway. Enjoy the vibrant autumn trees, the beautiful Stringers Creek Gorge and colourful spring wildflowers. For something a little spookier, take a ghost tour at the old cemetery on the hill.
Spend a weekend in one of the many B&Bs in and around Walhalla. Enjoy open fires and spectacular views of the valley. You’ll find plenty of accommodation options, from basic rooms through to luxury digs.
JACOB CREEK
Another landmark…keep riding.
TYERS
Tyers Lookout just before town is worth having a look at.
TRARALGON
Amble along the wide tree-lined streets, beautiful gardens and spacious parklands of Traralgon. As the region’s entertainment capital, Traralgon has an ever-expanding choice of top-notch dining options and a thriving pub and club scene. D
Out from the Shadows
Steve Parrish and Murray Sayle
OBEYING THE WISHES OF a professional photographer, Murray Sayle poses with the H2R750 that kicked off his wonderful career at Kawasaki. Muz climbs aboard and sits high in the saddle as the gorgeous sunshine highlights the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed (BSFOS) paddock in the brilliant hues of 1970s factory liveries. As the photographer snaps away, Murray grabs the clip-ons and crouches down easily on the tank, then cocks his head towards the lense. It’s an act that brings a big smile to a sometimes stony face, a smile of pure joy not teary nostalgia.
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Muz – what a champion bloke
RACING LEGENDS
When he raced for Team Kawasaki Australia from 1974 to 1977, the taciturn Sayle was forever in the shadow of charismatic Gregg Hansford
These guys aren’t spinning their wheels, they’re still on it
When he raced for Team Kawasaki Australia from 1974 to 1977, the taciturn Sayle was forever in the shadow of charismatic Gregg Hansford. Likewise, Steve Parrish was seen as the pranking court jester in the circus that was Barry Sheene. At the BSFOS a few years ago, both men shone and were only too happy to reflect on their careers. For Sayle it’s all about the bikes; their antecedents, specifications, development and nuances. For Parrish, it’s normally about Sheene. That’s the subject that dominates his interviews, so I ask Parrish about Parrish and his strongest memories of the 70s.
“Waking up in hospital – a lot!” he joked. I think. “I remember them as great days, it was the halcyon era; it was me as a team-mate to Barry Sheene, travelling the world having a lot of fun. You’ve got to remember we only raced Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we use to muck up the other days. If you can turn a hobby into a living, which is what I did, you’re a lucky person. It was in the era without the hundreds of
A very funny man
cameras and social media we have now. In those days, PC stood for ‘Pulling Crumpet’. It wasn’t as commercialised as it is now, the sun seemed to shine a lot more, going to great countries, meeting different people. It’s nice to come back and hear the sounds of the RGs and things we use to race,” Parrish said as he eyed up and down pitlane at SMSP.
Warming to the subject, he continued. “It was wonderful, I was young, learning so much. It was a dream, but I look back on it in a way with regret that I didn’t enjoy it more. You put a lot of pressure on yourself if you wanted to win races and do well. I’d like to go back to some of the tracks I went to, and in my old age enjoy the atmosphere that goes on with these classic events. That’s what most us guys like to do – enjoy talking about the old days without any pressure.”
Pressure indeed. When I ask Parrish about his best GP result, he says,
Freddie was there ...
... So were Croz and Kork
In those days, PC stood for ‘Pulling Crumpet’
“I was going to say the ’77 British Grand Prix...” In front of a 90,000 crowd in the first-ever BGP on English soil, Wil Hartog led most of the race but went out with a seized crankshaft giving Parrish the lead until he slid off a Stowe Corner with just three laps to go, gifting John Williams the lead...only for him to slide off at the same corner on the last lap! Sheene retired with engine trouble. Pat Hennen won from Steve Baker, a possible British quinella led by Parrish dashed, but there were better days for Stavros in the GP paddock that lost a string of riders across the decade.
“I had a great race finishing race fourth at Spa passing Ago, my hero, in ’77. I had some great rides in Sweden, Anderstorp, I loved all those. I look back on it as a great time, realising what a lucky person I am. Some of them didn’t make it, did they? There was a lot of deaths unfortunately because the tracks were dangerous.”
A long-time WSBK, MotoGP commentator, Parrish is best known for his insightful coverage of the Isle of Man TT. Just like his GP career, Steve’s first TT memory is of the one that got away in the 1985 Formula One race. “I finished third and got disqualified, probably my worst memory. I finally got on the podium at the TT and got kicked out for an oversize fuel tank – allegedly. The TT was the most satisfying event you could ever do. You may not win, but you finish with a lot of fourths, fifths and sixths. Just to finish in the top ten was pretty good around there. Now I get to commentate on it, and I can relate to people what it’s like doing it. It’s a pleasure to still be involved with it. I now stand on the sidelines watching the guys go around and think, ‘wow, what the hell was I doing!?’ I see their faces when they come back in. You can see the relief, the excitement and the adrenalin pumping through their veins. I still adore the place and look forward to it every year.”
On the other side of the world Murray Sayle is something of a trainspotting anorak in the realms of 1970s Kawasakis and Yamahas. I ask him about the Gary Middleton’s ex TKA KR250. “It was a ‘75 model that
we originally received in 1976, and I rode it during the year. I had a win on it at Hume Weir, got a third on it at Bathurst. I enjoyed racing it. We got the ‘77 model with the single rearshock and the 360-degree firing crank, which made it a much better bike than the earlier one. The 180-degree ’75 engine was good at the time, but the 77 model was better in every respect –performance, handling, everything.
“The 1975 bike was made for the AMA series, with a seven-speed gearbox and I rode it in ’76 with a seven-speed gearbox. It was bit hard counting them all, so you changed down until it felt right and away you’d go. In ’77 when Gregg and I had the newer model, it was re-furbished for Rick Perry to ride. The 360 configuration had the six-speed transmission, the forks were changed, and it had different fairing and seat,
A long-time WSBK, MotoGP commentator, Parrish is best known for his insightful coverage of the Isle of Man TT
different from the example here.”
The H2R750 Murray posed with was originally raced by grizzly veteran Ron Toombs, who rated young Sayle very highly after a series of terrific dices. He recommended Murray to the team.
“They had a second bike that the team had when I first raced for them in 1974 at Amaroo Park,” Muz remembers.
“Ron rode this bike up until he stopped racing [in May 1975], and I rode it twice then Gregg joined the team and rode it in ’75. It was fun to ride. Lots of wheel-spin and wheelies, which was enjoyable. When I first started riding on treaded tyres – Dunlop KR84 front and rears – they used to wheel-spin in a straight line! If they weren’t doing wheelies, they were wheel-spinning. The bikes were a bit overpowered and when we got the Goodyear slicks front and rear in ’75 that improved things.”
These guys aren’t spinning their wheels, they’re still on it. Parrish was bloody quick in the Legend GP ‘Clashes’ and Muz was equally impressive. As for the bikes they rode, the older they get the better they look! D
On the other side of the world Murray Sayle is something of a trainspotting anorak in the realms of the 1970s Kawasakis and Yamahas
RIDEITFAST
HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS TAKEN ITS Low Rider S (a bike which I love) and transformed it into a travel-happy performance cruiser named the Low Rider ST. It’s a bit of a throw to those bagger racers you see in America, as a sort of bare bones machine with a screen.
In creating the ST, Harley used the same engine and chassis specs as the S, so beneath you sits the 117 cube (1923cc) Milwaukee-Eight V-twin.
H-D is quoting 168Nm of torque at 3500 rpm for the ST’s beating heart and it’s mated to a beautifully smooth initial throttle response that does a remarkable job of metering the level of torque in a precise fashion. The big free-flowing air filter no doubt contributes to this smooth response. Harleys of the past with their choking air filter housing felt exactly like that when you rode them – choked. One thing I did find the air filter does for my long legs is get in the way occasionally when I was punting hard and moving around on the seat. You can rev the big twin out if you wish but there’s really no point as the best performance is found between 2500-4000rpm, beyond which point the torque begins to taper off. There’s also 78kW on tap, which Harley says peaks at 5020rpm, so jamming the throttle open at anything from lowspeed corners to highway speeds is met with instant thrust. There’s no rider aids here - no traction control, no variable rider modes, but the way in which the Milwaukee-Eight delivers its performance, one has to really question if they are required. I did have the rear start to slide on the odd occasion on
exit of some corners, but only when it was pushed to the limit – and certainly not how the majority of Harley owners would ride this bike.
The engine is mated to your standard Harley-Davidson six speed gearbox with sixth being an overdrive for highway use and, truth be told, I hardly ever saw it flash up on the miniature digital dash mounted to the handlebar cross brace. H-D’s gearbox action has vastly improved over the years and gives the machine an enhanced quality feel.
Braking is taken care of by decent sized discs front and rear. I could get the front ABS working when pushing to the
There’s no traction control, no variable rider modes, but the way in which the MilwaukeeEight delivers its performance, one has to really question if they are required
limit but it is more than controllable.
The ST runs a single rate front spring compared to the triple rate spring on the Low Rider S to help maintain handling composure due to the extra weight of the ST. I found the ride just on the right side of stiff, a good thing as most Harleys I ride simply don’t have enough support for fast riding with the fork often plunging through the stroke under braking.
The ST loves flowing backroads and will be a happy companion when it comes to long sweepers. Point it where you want to go and the chassis takes you there, and despite the 327kg (wet)
TEST
weight, swift changes of direction are easy thanks to the high handlebar – just be careful of the rubber mid-mount pegs as they touch down fast. In fact, I’d much prefer it if Harley put their standard forward controls on this bike; long range comfort and cornering clearance would both improve.
However, the star of the Low Rider ST is fitment of the fairing and bags that take the pretty bare-bones Low Rider S and turn it into something resembling a touring cruiser. There are three decent sized airflow cut-outs so summer riding shouldn’t be as sweaty as something like the similar looking Road Glide. As I rode the ST on a cold winter day having the option to close the vents would be nice, but you can’t have the best of both worlds when this is aimed at being a performance bagger.
I found the short screen to be adequate at moving air away from the body and it didn’t give any buffeting with an open face helmet. H-D does offer a higher accessory screen if you want more protection.
The super tiny digital dash cluster mounted on the handlebar clamp is probably one of the best on the market – not overly packed with information, but it does supply all the essentials in a package you might even miss if you weren’t looking properly. It’s simply top class.
Comfort is a double edged sword –you get a deep-dish low 720mm seat with a pretty tall back that slots you in place well, but the slouchy position I found myself in while on longer rides, thanks to the footpeg position, got uncomfortable after 120km or so. The other side of the coin is that the tall
handlebar is great for the upper body and when you first ride the ST you’ll notice the handlebar is quite short and it takes a few kilometres to adjust yourself.
53-litres of storage is what you get from the panniers – they even come with gas struts, something I certainly wasn’t expecting on a bike like this. The sportiness of the ST means that if you don’t always want the panniers on, they take all of 15 seconds to remove via the knob on the inside of each case.
As with all Harley-Davidson motorcycles the list of accessories is extensive (to put it mildly). Since the ST is pretty bare bones the sky’s the limit, I guess.
Taking my favourite Harley – the Low Rider S -- and turning it into a performance bagger is very nice indeed. If you want a Harley that gives you a bit of fun in the twisties while carrying some luggage: this is the one. D
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 7.74 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 243km
COLOURS: Vivid Black; Gunship Gray
VERDICT: Fun stuff
has important features such as longterm waterproofing capacity, excellent resistance to the most extreme temperatures and high resistance to wear and tear.The special microporous structure of the Gore-Tex fabric in expanded PTFE contains around 1.4 thousand million microscopic pores per square centimetre.These pores are approximately 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water, but 700 times larger than a molecule of water vapour. So, while water cannot penetrate the Gore-Tex membrane in liquid form, sweat (water vapour) can easily evaporate. And that’s not all…Cordura AFT (Air Flow Technology) is a high technology fabric used for the lining, the knitted pattern that distinguishes this type of fabric offers a high degree of breathability, guaranteeing the best riding comfort in warmer weather.
Having a sole that grips in water, mud
and super dry conditions makes a massive difference to the control you have of your motorcycle, if you’ve ever been through a water crossing and come off or had a foot slide off and nearly crash – the fault can lie with the grip your boots offer –it’s not a nice feeling either.TCX joined up with JV International and came up with the Michelin Tech Sole.
The outsole blends in seamlessly with the ergonomic design of the boots, with technical characteristics obtained from Michelin tyres for the off road and road segments.All I can say is whatever compounds they’ve put into the sole –they work.The sole can also be easily replaced if it wears out down the track.
Adjustability is another great feature of these boots.There are four aluminium adjustable buckles and a calf adjustment system.This calf system if made to adjust to any type of calf and to accommodate knee braces/guards. It also has two
positions to choose from that change the range of motion.
Sizing runs one size down from normal – as in, I usually run a 49 EU motorcycle boot and with the TCX range I run their 48 EU.There are four colours to choose from as well – Black/Blue, Black/Red, White/Black and Black. I would have liked the blue; however, the white is what was available at the time. So, whoever that reader was that used to ‘love’ me wearing white boots many years ago – they’re back, baby! I expect many emails cursing my choice of white boots once again! The TCX Comp EVO 2 Michelin boots are a premium offering at $649.95. I feel the boot is a winner in comfort and durability and has the right amount of stiffness for all facets of off-road riding that I do. Check them out at your local bike shop, or jump online and view this and the entire range of TCX Boots at tcxboots.com.au SW
LATE ON DECEMBER
29TH, 1929, when a train pulled into the station at the pub-less Mallee town of Patchewollock a carload of out-oftown plain-clothed narks was waiting in the shadows. They watched as a stack of crates of beer was unloaded from one of the railway wagons and when it was all done one of the D’s headed over and ‘chased’ the bloke in charge for five bottles of Melbourne Bitter and handed him a ten-bob note. Took the beers back to the car, and then returned with his ‘civvied’ mates, busted Thomas Holland for sly grog selling and confiscated the town’s delivery of 1070 bottles of beer and 19 bottles of wine. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too!
A decade later even the local cops had changed their tune and admitted that sly grogging was an out-of-control social menace and the workers of the area deserved personal irrigation as much as did their crops. The local walloper testified to a hearing that there’d been 11 prosecutions in his 4½ years in the area and that ‘an hotel would be an asset, both from the police and public points of view.’
Neil Young, a local farmer led the campaign to replace the shady (not Steven) stills and sly groggers with a respectable hotel. (and if you appreciate that comment I’m guessing you’re over 60). In a town of 714 voters, he rounded up 514 signatures on his petition for a pub and in 1939 a poll was taken. The electors of Patchewollock voted 141
to 4 in favour of a watering hole. Finally, the efforts of Young and the community triumphed and the next year Patchewollock got its pub.
Eric and his wife Belinda took over the Patche on January 1st this year (2022). It’s his third and her first shot at running a country pub.
His first was the fabled Gaffney’s Creek Hotel on the Upper Goulburn in Victoria, scene of any number of stunt rides up the near vertical slope from the river to the pub’s usually quagmire parking area.
Eric bought the lease when he was 22 in 1984. “I was driving trucks and all the log drivers would stop there and it was busy, so it seemed like a good bet.”
It was but by the time the Gaffney’s Creek Pub hit the headlines big time - and for the last time in 1993 (see Sidebar) - Eric had taken over the lease of the hotel at Buxton, north of Marysville. He kept this one for fifteen years and had it during the fires of 2009. There’s an hilarious clip of him retelling the story of commandeering a bulldozer to cut a firebreak which saved a few houses and maybe the pub itself and then being threatened by local council with a charge of theft of the dozer. Just search YouTube for ‘Can I borrow your bulldozer’.
Anyway, Eric had another spell of truck driving but around mid2021 he was pretty much over it and being away way too often, Belinda saw a notice on Facebook that the Patchewollock Pub was on the market. She sent Eric a link. It sounded like the kind of thing they
were looking for and pretty soon they headed out to check it out.
Belinda: “We didn’t tell them who we were or that we were interested but we had a great night, really enjoyed the atmosphere and the locals and so when we got back home Eric contracted Bryce and Bec who had it and the rest is history.”
She continues: “It’s been a slog; I’m not going to lie. Everything was very basic and basic is okay, but a lot of stuff needed fixing, so we just got to work but the help we’ve had from the locals has been amazing.”
The pub has a unique square design with a yard in the centre. A good
few years back a local - whose son, Noodles, later became the model for the silo art down the road – donated a pool to the community and it got installed in the centre of the pub. Two local women taught the town’s kids to swim in that pool and when the previous owners decided it was too expensive to repair and maintain, and planned to fill it in, the community wasn’t too happy.
Belinda and Eric had an idea and after the annual pre-winter firewood day when all the locals head bush with their trailers to harvest wood for the pub’s fires then come back to stack it and enjoy a sizzle and free beers, they suggested the pool become the beneficiary of the weekly meat raffles. The locals embraced it, and the pool should be ready to go in time for summer.
While we’re chatting, we’re joined by Robin, a hugely respected and loved local whose grandfather came home from war in 1919 and like all diggers was given 640 acres. His family came from just east of here, so he had some experience on the land, and he succeeded where many others failed. Robin was born on the adjoining block and still lives on it.
He shares a story from the year before the Gaffneys Creek Pub went up when a bearing on a combine he was driving had an issue and not thinking too straight after 18 hours of harvesting he put his hand in the
wrong place and the belt chewed off his fingers. The heat cauterized the wounds – there was no blood - and his first thought was that he’d not be able to play his beloved guitar again.
An ambulance was called and eventually the fingers were partially rebuilt. Robin went on to what the rest of the bar call ‘fame’ as the star of car and tourism adverts and he’s not backward in pressing the young blokes to take a bit of bloody notice of Workplace Safety protocols.
The evening rolls on, Belinda disappears into the kitchen to start doing the meals, Eric keeps everyone
lubricated, Robin circulates, and spreads good cheer and Noodles comes in along with a bunch of other farm boys and family groups.
There’s no gambling to disturb and networking, the catching up and the sharing of news and mutual support.
A lot of the conversations turn to the music festival that’s being revived in October 14-16th after a Covid hiatus and sorting out how everyone can be involved.
Oh, and you were probably wondering - Robin did master the guitar again and along with headliners like Mick Thomas (ex ‘Weddings,
Parties, Anything’), Pete Denahy plus the General Jacksons, he’ll more than likely be strumming ‘un’ singing at some stage.
And that’s the over-riding impression you get of this place. Eighty-two years ago, the foundations of this pub were laid due to the efforts of the community and today that same pub and community underpin each other.
The Patche’s enjoyable but you’re wasting a great opportunity in this neck of the woods if you don’t make time for a squirt due east of the town. First place you’ll come to is
a town that’s missing some unique opportunities to cash in on its name. It’s just 15kms due east of Patche and it’s called ‘Speed’.
Let’s just say I’ve drunk champagne in Champagne, nibbled cheddar in Cheddar, had Turkish Delight in Istanbul, so what the heck. Besides, “but at the edge of town there’s a sign saying, ‘Welcome to Speed’, officer.”
Another (legal) half hour east and you’re at Lake Tyrrell, one of the larger pink(ish) salt lakes around here. If you’re after some rough camping or a more basic view of
PUB OF THE MONTH
THE DEETS
The pub currently opens from 5pm until late each day but if you’re coming through with a group of 6 or more, give a couple of days’ notice, and the doors (and the kitchen’ll be opened for you.). Otherwise, meals are on from 6-8pm.
There’s just two beers Carlton Draught and Black Fish on tap and a schooner’ll cost you $7.50.
Seven rooms available at $60 a night without ensuite and $80 with.All have aircon, a jug and their own fridge.You can throw your swag or tent out the back for ten bucks which
is taken off your meal or drinks. Parking is unlocked and open also at the rear.
If cracked concrete in the paths is an issue for you, then this is not your place but if fair dinkum honest friendly pubs without differentiation between 60-year locals and 60 second blow-ins is your thing, then you’ll like it.
Room rates for accommodation rather than ‘per head’ is a pet peeve of mine and helps rob this place of one helmet and earn in 4 from 5.
Value to money is just shy of 140 on our scale where 100 is acceptable, whilst for unique character it gets 5/5.
the place, take a left onto Saltworks Road otherwise just keep skirting the lake and then follow the signs to the viewing platform. Its colour varies with season and sunlight but it’s worth a visit anytime.
Then keep heading down the Calder Hwy and you’ll soon be at the town of Sea Lake (pop 60) with its painted silos and its rejuvenated pub. Now this, people, is a bloody gem in the desert.
And its story has strong echoes of the foundation of the Patchewollock Pub.
Up until about three years ago, Sea Lake’s beautiful Royal (what else?) Hotel had been shut for 18 months. Like the locals of Patchewollock 100 years earlier, folks at Sea Lake got jack of being incarcerated in a town less thirst quenching than its lake and decided to buy the joint.
Four dozen investors chipped in and bought it. They appointed 6 directors, rounded up – chiefly from within their ranks – the necessary tradies and labourers, filled 28 large skips with rubbish, sorted out a license, sub-let the restaurant side of things and flung open the doors.
It’s still a work in progress but damn it’s got a bloody good feel, looks schmicker than a rat with a gold tooth and has come alive. Inside it’s airy, spacious and well laid out. Out back in the beer-garden it’s comfortable and uncluttered.
Upstairs on the north-facing balcony you can catch the rays in a couple of hanging basket chairs.
There are ten accommodation rooms upstairs with a mix of doubles, singles and twins. No ensuites up here but shared toilets and showers plus a small kitchen and common room. There’s also a few rooms downstairs but I’m not sure of their noise factor.
The Juke restaurant downstairs is breaking out of the restraints of ‘pub food’ and the bar is breezy and open. Oh, and as if saving the pub wasn’t enough for this community, they’ve also bought the local hardware store and the post office. Little wonder the street vibe is so welcoming and warm. My schedule didn’t allow for staying here this time but next trip I’ll be basing around two nights at the Royal at Sea Lake. D
ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411
TAKE ONE ROYAL ENFIELD Himalayan, strip it by taking the fairing off and fitting a smaller front wheel and essentially you have the new Scram 411. I headed to Queensland for the Australian launch and while I didn’t get to ride the bike for half of the launch (see breakout), my time on the new Scram was enough to discover what it’s all about – a crossover bike that can be used for adventure riding, city commuting and everything in between.
Sharing the Himalayan’s 411cc single cylinder Euro 5 compliant engine, the Scram gets along okay, but a bit more power and torque wouldn’t go astray. Another 5kW and 5Nm would transform this bike into something super fun – well, more fun than it already is.
Handling, thanks to the change from the Himalayan’s 21-inch front to a 19-inch makes turn in
much faster and, I found, more relaxing on rough roads with the change in geometry. Weighing in at 14kg lighter than the Himalayan makes a huge difference too. While carrying decent speed through turns you can also change your line, whereas with the 21-inch wheel you were sort of committed to the line you had chosen. One thing RE has overlooked with the smaller 19-inch wheel is the side stand. Its mounting hasn’t been changed so you touch it down through left handers quite easy and if you whip the bike over into a fast left hander it could catch you and kick the rear out – something to keep in the back of your mind.
To replace the fairing, a cast metal headlight cowl is fitted, and housed on top of this sits an offset analogue speedo and Royal Enfield’s Tripper navigation. A basic-looking setup but one that still houses all the essential info, and the Tripper
ROUGHING IT
Royal Enfield Australia gave us the ‘rough’ treatment at the launch – our night’s accommodation was under the stars at Qld Moto Park in swags. We did bring along our own sleeping bag, of which the trusty Coleman sleeping bag I received on a Harley launch many moons ago served well at keeping me comfy and warm. As I couldn’t ride on the first day I was in charge of building and maintaining the fire, which became a talking point towards the end of the night as the temperature dropped. I’d built a ripper!
Helping along on the ride was Salt Creek Motorcycles who also run adventure bike tours. Their ‘chef’ cooked up a mega tasty Massaman curry and the bacon and egg rolls for breakfast were to die for, as was the plunger coffee –something I miss in this day and age of coffee pod machines.
One thing I’ve learnt by attending new bike launches over the years is you remember the ‘different’ experiences and while swagging it out in the bush around a campfire would be how some of us would go adventure riding overnight with our mates, it was great to actually ‘rough it’ – it makes the experience more real.
LAUNCH
ALL THE GEAR AND NO IDEA!
You might notice in the photos of me that I’m not wearing my usual riding gear. Unfortunately, Virgin Australia lost my luggage on my flight to the Gold Coast. I had no idea when my luggage would turn up as they supplied zero communication.
I had to get a lift in the support wagon for the first day’s riding, and sit out the awesome off-road course at Queensland Moto Park and on the second day I borrowed a jacket and gloves from ‘The Enfield Guy’ (Jimi Swan) and a helmet from Tom (Urban Moto Imports). A big thanks goes to them.
This did allow me to experience what the Scram is like to ride, especially with the smaller 19-inch front wheel. Jimi and Tom must have had insider knowledge about the weather though, as it pelted down, and I was totally soaked - what fun!
Thankfully (I guess) my bag had been found and delivered by courier to the hotel we’d already checked out of (with Virgin Australia knowing I had already done so), so one of the guys from Salt Creek Motorcycles (helping with the launch) kindly diverted his route and grabbed my bag to meet me at their dealership for my flight home from Ballina.
You have no idea how good it feels to put on fresh clothes and at least brush your hair after three days!
So, the gear I should have been wearing was my AGV AX9 adventure helmet, Klim Badlands jacket, Macna winter gloves, black riding jeans and my brand spanking new TCX Comp Evo 2 Michelin off-road boots.
navigation is great to have if you’re unsure where you are going.
A one-piece seat, a change from the Himalayan’s two piece, is comfortable and set low at 795mm. For my long pins I did find the seat to peg height a little short, the seat to bar reach is now 60mm lower and 20mm closer placing a touch more weight forward. That makes the Scram more comfortable overall for many people, compared to the Himalayan.
As with the Himalayan, the Scram could do with a more powerful front brake, but so long as you plan your stops the single disc front is adequate for the job.
Royal Enfield is obviously aiming the Scram 411 at a younger market and
seven funky colourways are on offer.
My two favourites are the White/Red (White Flame) and the Blue/Fluro Yellow (Skyline Blue) versions. Pricing starts at a very reasonable $8240 ride away. It’s a hundred dollars or so cheaper than the Himalayan, so it will depend on what you want to do with your riding which model you’d buy.
Accessories are mostly in the name of protection – handguards, engine guards, oil cooler guards and so on.
In the process of stripping down the Himalayan to become the Scram 411, Royal Enfield has created a product that pretty much does everything a Himalayan does, but with slightly more ease and more comfort, and this is where the Scram 411 shines. D
BACK IN ISSUE #108 I tested the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV and found them to be a fantastic tyre for sport touring and fast road riding. I thought Pirelli had produced one of the greatest road tyres you could possibly get. I’m still mostly of that opinion, especially if you ride in all manner of weather conditions. But, if you want a tyre that offers even more grip and even faster turn in, the new Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa is the tyre for you - a true hypersport, high-performance tyre.
There are a handful of road-oriented tyres that can just about cope with the stresses and strains of a track day, while on the flipside, an even smaller offering of more specific track day tyres that can do a competent job on dry roads –the Corsa can do both.
The sportiest tyre in the Diablo Rosso family is aimed at super-fast road riding and track day enthusiasts. The Corsa takes the basics of the Diablo Rosso IV and as a compromise with less wet grip and mileage, it instead focuses firmly on dry grip, hard handling, and performance consistency, offering the best of both worlds in one premium tyre.
The world of motorcycle tyres has been forced to develop quickly over the past decade with the increase in power, torque, performance and, importantly, electronics. Pirelli is now 150 years old and has plenty of knowhow when it comes to creating a product to fit desired categories, and the Corsa is ideal for any machine that can hustle and that has a 17” front and a 17” rear wheel,.
whereas the shoulders are softer while still Full Silica. On the rear, the difference is in the shoulders where the 100% Carbon Black comes straight from the Supercorsa SC for maximum grip at maximum lean, and traction during acceleration from even the latest high power super bikes.
The traditional Pirelli ‘flash’ tread pattern appears distorted in the central area of the Diablo Rosso IV Corsa compared to the Diablo Rosso IV with the central section of the flash missing,
and this provides that all-important extra grip.
Both the front and rear use two different compounds split across three sections: two shoulders and a central band. On the front, the middle 45% of the tyre has a Full Silica compound
I only tested the Corsa on the road, fitted to my Suzuki Bandit 1250. With an ambient temperature of just 8 degrees at the start of my ride my thoughts were with the tyres’ ability to get into some kind of operating window, but there was crazy levels of grip virtually straight away. Later in my ride the temp had risen to around
Typical winter’s day – cold!
TEST
20 degrees and the Corsas were better again – like glue sticking to the road. There’s so much feel from the front and I could nearly wind the throttle as hard as I liked on exit of corners with the rear laughing at me trying to get it to spin – and not succeeding.
Thoughts after my ride - the front tyre is exceptional, the steering is light and little effort is required to turn the bike. It’s easy to get onto its side and maintain a line and push harder than just about any other road tyre. The rear tyre wouldn’t kick or squirm on super hard acceleration out of corners and if you were to use the Corsa as a track day tyre I dare say unless you’re in the ‘Red’ group (racers class) you wouldn’t want any more grip. If you are in this group you’d probably be running Supercorsas or slicks anyway.
Braking performance is outstanding and while really trying to go overboard and push the Bandit and the front tyre to the limit I was smashing the brake lever harder and harder until I was going to launch myself into space if I kept going.
For general road riding the Corsa is a touch stiffer in construction than the Rosso IV that I tested back in #108, but it is still comfortable, with lighter turn in. Even banging into corners with gravel the front and rear felt stable. I did get to do a small amount of wet weather riding and with less tread pattern than compared to the Rosso IV,
240km down.
the Corsa offers a bit less grip – as you’d expect.
Pirellis have a premium feel about them – that’s why I prefer to race with them and use them on every other bike I’ve owned. The looks, the tread pattern and even the neat 150th anniversary logo that appears on the sidewalls of this Diablo Rosso IV Corsa as the firm celebrates is century and a half of operation gives you the style all bikes
should have.
These latest and sportiest Corsa’s are a step up in super grippy road-going rubber that can also be used for track day work. They warm up quickly and retain their heat too while you concentrate on eradicating any chicken strip evidence, and finding apexes never hit before. Life of the tyre I guesstimate to be within the 3-7000km range, and of course this all depends on how and
where you ride.
The Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa is available in most popular sizes and ready to select at your local Pirelli dealer. Fronts start at $269.95 and rears from $299.95. You can check out the entire Pirelli range at pirellimoto. com.au. I fitted my tyres at D Moto Motorcycle Engineering, who are also a Pirelli dealer. Get in touch with them on 0490 486 322. D
It’s easy to get onto its side and maintain a line and push harder than just about any other road tyre
Rubber, ready to burn.
OKAY, SO OUR MOROCCO tour for the second time now has been a bit of a non-event. Whatever is behind this – covid, travel restrictions, nervousness or whatever it has been, we’ve now decided to abandon Morocco for the time being with our Readers Tour now going to Italy!
I know many of you will be super delighted to join this tour and after speaking with the great folk at Edelweiss Bike Travel, they are super excited for this one too!
Just imagine…traditional pizza, pasta, wine, historical sights, beautiful roads and of course, great like-minded Australian Motorcyclist riders. What more could you really ask for?
Book now with peace of mind and let’s go have a good time!
Edelweiss Bike Travel says…
This tour through the land of the Etruscans and Romans is a dream for motorcycle riders and fans of culture, history and great cuisine. In 10 days we will discover the most beautiful sights of Italy –curve fun included!
Our tour starts in Rome, the “Eternal City”. From there, we will ride East to the “backbone” of Italy, the Apennines and the Monte Sibillini national park, before we will get enchanted by the Medieval city of Assisi. After a night in the microstate San Marino, we will ride over the mountain passes of the Alpe di Serra and Casentino and on to Florence, the “pearl of the renaissance” at the Arno river, where we will also have our rest day. A ride to the Mugello race track or rather some culture in Florence – you decide! The next day, Pisa’s leaning tower, the Mediterranean Sea and San Gimignano with its many towers are our highlights. Our next stop then is Siena, where we will marvel at one of the most beautiful squares of Italy, the Piazza del Campo. After a side trip to Chianti and a glass of good wine we will eventually reach Pienza, from where we will ride back to Rome.
A quick rundown…
Day 1: Arrival in Roma (Rome)
Day 2: Roma (Rome) - Assisi
Day 3: Assisi - San Marino
Day 4: San Marino - Firenze (Florence)
Day 5: Firenze (Florence)
Day 6: Firenze (Florence) - Volterra
Day 7: Volterra - Siena
Day 8: Siena - Pienza
Day 9: Pienza - Roma (Rome)
Day 10: Departure from Roma (Rome)
The finer details
Included services
All overnights (comfortable middle-class hotels) during entire tour
Breakfast every day
2 picnics/lunches
8 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 (1 piece per person) and space for passengers (limited) on entire tour
Edelweiss Riding Tips
Services not included
All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature.
Optional Services
Optional deductible reduction on included motorcycle insurance (Cover All / Cover Plus) additional rental options prior or post tour on request and availability
Please note
This group tour is not suitable for people with limited mobility. D
The bikes
Price for rider in double room
$5130
BMW G 310 GS
BMW G 310 R
Honda NC 750 S
Honda NC 750 X
Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT
Yamaha Tracer 700
Price for rider in double room$5220
BMW F 750 GS (LSP)
Yamaha Tenere 700
Price for rider in double room$5370
BMW F 850 GS
BMW F 900 R
BMW F 900 XR
Ducati Monster 821
Ducati Multistrada 950 S
Honda CRF 1100 L Africa Twin KTM 890 Adventure (LSP)
Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT
Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
Yamaha Tracer 900
Price for rider in double room$5500
BMW R 1250 GS
BMW R 1250 GS (LSP)
BMW R 1250 R
BMW R 1250 RS
BMW S 1000 XR
The Bear Says
FORTHE MONEYTHIS IS A LAY-DOWN MISÈRE! WISH I COULD GO.
Ducati Monster 1200
Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Harley-Davidson Pan America Special
KTM 1290 Super Adventure S Triumph Tiger Explorer
Price for rider in double room$5650
BMW R 1250 GS Adventure
BMW R 1250 RT
Price for passenger in double room - $3430
Single room supplement - $490
OPTIONAL:
Guided City Tour in double room (Minimum participants: 1) - $440
Single room supplement - $60
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.We do reserve the right to cut them and, you do need to provide a name and at least your state, if not, town or suburb. Please address letters to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, 17 Weeroona Place, Rouse Hill NSW 2155. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
BARRY IS IN THE market for a Triumph Rocket 3 GT, but has one issue he needs help with. Let’s see what you, the reader has for him!
Barry you are the winner of awesome Motul Chain Pack, please send me your postal address.
Thanks, Stuart.
CUT THE SPRAY
Hi Stuart,
Picked up the latest mag (#115) & was delighted to see the Test of the Triumph Rocket 3GT.
I’m in the market to upgrade my M109r & like the looks of the Rocket 3 GT, but has there been any actual testing of this machine in the wet??
I’ve seen a couple of overseas UK reports (of course) & there are negative comments regarding the shorty rear guard with excessive road spray reported on damp / wet days with road grime & muck all over the rear of bike, panniers & the rider.
Having tested a couple of HD’s 114’s & a Victory 106 Cross Country Tour, that all left me a bit non plus (my apologies to owners of the brands for my lack of enthusiasm), the Rocket 3 GT is now top of my list, but I do feel the lack of a ‘proper’ rear guard is a real draw back.
I gather there is a couple of possible accessary rear-guard options, but it is a bit galling to need to fork out extra money after spending $37,000 odd & needing to rectify a styling que that detracts from using the bike all the year round in all weathers.
Any suggestions, feedback or advise on if this is really a problem
& a practical & viable fixes available locally from yourself or other readers would be appreciated.
Thanks for the opportunity to air this whinge, keep up the good work.
Regards,
Barry Regan
Hi Barry, I haven’t had the fun of doing a full test of the R3 in the rain, however I have ridden it on damp roads. I didn’t experience the road spray you mentioned, but I have no reason to doubt that it could be an issue – any bike without a decent (short) guard on the back will do this.
I guess when you’re shelling out that kind of money another $500 or so is certainly a pain, but isn’t over the top to modify the bike into how you want. A longer rear guard might even be less than that?
You could try various forums or Facebook pages to seek help in finding a solution, but I will also put it out there to the readers, for who has fixed this problem on the current Rocket 3 GT.
Cheers, Stuart.
SECOND BEST JOB?
Hi mate,
Yup 2 years subs sorted..
Thanks for the personalised message for a great mag. The best. I have the (nearly) best job (I reckon highway patrol on a bike would top it, but I like my mates... Ha ha) of being a postie during the week, digging up peoples lawns, on my postie bike, and riding my 2009 1200XB Buell on the other days... Down in the Shoalhaven…Gods country, being an ex-Sydney bloke. Anyway, cheers for being a GC along with the rest of the staff of
your brilliant mag. I am now very interested to add to the stable, a new CF Moto 800 adventure option so savings are happening!!
Cheers again.
POM.
Hi Pom, Good stuff, mate. You’ll enjoy the CFMoto 800.
Cheers, Stuart.
A WHAT?
Stuart
Great piece of creative writing to turn a sow’s ear into a purse. A design that looks like it came out of a motorcycle drawing competition for gifted 5 year olds and specs that make a sewing machine look sexy, it is going to be a hard sell. And then the PRICE - double most other offerings with better specs and range. You do wonder how this got the production go ahead.
