With a new Rotax® 1330 ACE™ high-torque engine and a new 6-speed transmission, the road has never been so inviting. The high-torque response of the ACE engine gives you 40% more low-end torque and now can go up to 405 kilometres at 100 km/h on one tank of gas. *While the new 6-speed transmission provides an incredibly smooth ride for you and your passenger. Add in a unique Y-frame design and 7 automotive technologies, and that rush you feel will be equal parts exhilaration and confidence.
at canamspyder.com
Editor-in-Chief J Peter Thoeming
Editor Stuart Woodbury
Sales Manager Terri Dodd advertise@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Designer Amy Hale
Photo Editor Nick Wood
Photographers Cain Maitland, Nick Wood
Contributors Emma Ayres, Elspeth Callender, Robert Crick, Joern Delfs, Phil Duncan, Mike Grant, Jim Green, Tony Hill, Robert Lovas, Phil Gadd, Ryan Lucas, Lester Morris, Brendan Nelson, The Possum, Dimitra Schonekas, Guy Stanford, Stuart Strickland, Michael Walley, Colin Whelan
Editorial contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Subscription enquiries info@ausmotorcyclist.com.au 0412 220 680 or 0418 421 322
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Australian Motorcyclist Magazine is published by Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111 Phone 0412 220 680 or 0418 421 322
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FURBALL
…being something the editor-in-chief wanted to bring up
I’veforgotten just how many riding seasons have passed under my wheels. Calculating the number is difficult, because I have spent quite a bit of time working in London – first as general dogsbody at Airfix Hobby & Toy Sales (yes, that Airfix) in the early ‘70s, and then as a graphic designer with a magazine company and later an advertising agency. All of these jobs left me a reasonable amount of time to explore Britain and parts of the rest of Europe, and I got out as much as I could.
Then I did my around-the-world trip with my mate Charlie. I saw him the other day, and he’s had the operation (no, not that operation) which I’m going to have to have before long – a knee replacement. How did I get onto that? Sheer terror, I suppose. What I wanted to say was that, at the end of that ride, I had a good riding season in the US before returning home in the big whiteand-red flying kangaroo.
I’m not ashamed to say that I fell in love with America on that trip, and I still have a lot of fond feelings for the place; that’s why I go back so often. Hardly a year passes these days when I don’t visit at least once.
And now I’m offering to take you along.
‘Skip’ Schippers, who runs Great American Motorcycle Touring, has a tour called ‘The Best of the West’ which is so close to my dream Western USA tour that we’re going to market it as ‘The Bear’s Best of the West’, with a few small adjustments. You will have a chance to see and appreciate the places that have inspired me over the years.
The tour will run for 14 riding days from the 15th to the 30th of August, 2015, and you can find full details on Skip’s website at http://gamct.com/ bestofthewest.html . The tour begins in Los Angeles, which is terrific because that’s the place that has the most connections to Australia, and quite often there are even cutprice flight deals.
“You’ll see the lowest AND the highest elevations in the US – 282’ (86m) below sea level in Death Valley to 14,505’
(4,421·m) at Mt. Whitney,” says Skip. “Two weeks, fourteen days of riding and memories to last a lifetime.”
The ride will include some of the most iconic segments of Route 66, and will in fact end at the end of the Mother Road in Santa Monica. Along the way we’ll visit the Grand Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, the Pacific Coast and more. We’ll take a jeep into Monument Valley rather than riding; I tried riding and found the deep sand less than forgiving…
One place we’ll visit is not on my favourite list; it’s Las Vegas, and as Skip pointed out, you can’t really just ride past one of the most staggering sights of the modern world, can you? I’ll reserve judgement!
Okay, so what you need to do now is to get in touch with Skip and register your interest. By all means copy me in on your email, but make sure it goes to Skip too – he will hold the list. His email address is skip@gamct.com, and mine of course is thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au.
And God willin’ and the creek don’t rise, Skip and I will lead the tour. Love to see you, and it would be terrific if the tour was completely filled by MOTORCYCLIST readers!
New Bike Buyers’ Guide 2015
That’s what we’ve called the report from EICMA, the Milan motorcycle show which attracted over 600,000 visitors, among them about a thousand journalists. Combined with the report in issue #22, which covered the Cologne show, you have now seen pretty much all of the exciting new releases for 2015, and some of the concept ideas. Are you impressed? I am; I just love this positive atmosphere which has even the normally inscrutable Japanese jumping with joy. So enjoy flicking through all the bikes I’ve seen, and I’ll tell you one thing: if I had the money I’d be on a big ‘investment’ binge right now…
Peter ‘The Bear’ Thoeming
THE NEW TIGER 800 RANGE IS ON IT’S WAY
He climbed Everest after breaking his back. He’s ex-military. He’s been bitten by snakes, survived parachute failure and faced challenges in every continent. And now Bear Grylls has met the new Tiger 800 XC. Featuring a host of rider-focussed technology including the standard fitment of electronic traction control and switchable ABS, the new Tiger with its powerful and more fuel efficient 95PS triple engine is up for any task.
The range-topping XCx model* goes even further. Switchable riding modes control the throttle maps, traction control and ABS settings. Cruise control makes light work of long rides and an adventure pack including hand guards, engine bars and an aluminium sump guard complete the rugged look.
The new Tiger 800 XC models – designed to handle anything a true adventurer can throw at it.
*Model shown is a Tiger 800 XCx with optional accessory Triumph Dynamic Luggage System.
There are so many captions that suggest themselves for the mighty coin-operated “Gold Wind” here that we have had to physically restrain the other people here in the office (Stuart) from adding some of the more risqué ones. What do you think; what’s the most appropriate comment to make here – or does it even need one? The photo is from Spain, so perhaps the locals can be forgiven for not picking up on the dual meaning of the word “wind”… either that or they have a terrific sense of cross-cultural humour!
If you have a funny photo, send it in and we’ll consider it for this page. Send to thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111. Thank you!
