Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2019 i Australian Motorcyclist

PRICE: $21,999 (plus on-road charges) WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months ENGINE: Liquid-cooled in-line three cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder BORE x STROKE: 78 x 59.1mm DISPLACEMENT: 847cc COMPRESSION: 11.5:1 POWER: 84.6kW @ 10,000rpm TORQUE: 87.5Nm @ 8500rpm TRANSMISSION: Six-speed, wet multi-plate assist and slipper clutch, chain final drive SUSPENSION: Front, 43mm/41mm LMW dual tube upside-down fork, fully adjustable, travel 109mm. Rear, lever-type monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 124mm. DIMENSIONS: Seat height 820mm, weight 263kg (wet), fuel capacity 18 litres, wheelbase 1510mm TYRES: Front, dual 120/70R15. Rear, 190/55R17 FRAME:Tubular bridge BRAKES: Front, twin 298mm discs with four-piston calipers. Rear, 282mm disc, single-piston caliper. FUEL CONSUMPTION: 5.9 litres per 100km, premium unleaded THEORETICAL RANGE: 300km COLOURS: Granite Grey VERDICT:“TWOSIES IS FUNSIES, BUT NOTHING…

IT’S SUMMER TIME and what better way to keep cool than cruise on down to the beach to have a swim? You may have seen people on scooters or smaller capacity bikes with a surfboard hanging off the side with a rack, but you can keep it simple and just pack some swimmers, a pair of thongs and a towel into a backpack. Heading from Caloundra up to Noosa Heads there is an endless list of swimming beaches. I’ve been to many of them and recommend Shelly Beach, Mooloolaba Beach, Alexandra Headland Beach, Coolum Beach, Peregian Beach, Castaways Beach and Noosa Heads Beach. All offer something a little different. CALOUNDRA From the Pumicestone Passage, with views of the Glass House Mountains to Caloundra’s stunning coastal paths and well-maintained boardwalks that…

THE FEISTY 80-YEAR-OLD woman looks at the naive, unsure 20 year old boy and tells him: “… everyone has the right to make an arse of themselves. You can’t let the world judge you too much.” It’s 1971 and it’s one of two great lines from “Harold and Maude” a feel-good flick featuring Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon that my then girlfriend (RIP) dragged me along to. This was the second ‘Maude’ I’d encountered. The first was our art teacher from high school, a figure of fantasy to many of us, all of whom were racked with envy and jealousy when one of our senior prefects moved in with her a few weeks after we graduated. I’ve been using Movie Maude’s imprimatur regularly for almost 50 years although I’ve overcome…

THERE WERE CRIES of rapture when pictures of the ‘new’ Norton Commando 961 hit the internet and magazines back in the two thousands. Here was a painfully beautiful motorcycle that heralded the return of Norton as a force in the motorcycle game. The promise of history, performance, exclusivity and exotica proved overwhelming for many, and despite an eye-watering price, the order books were filled prior to machines being built in any real numbers. Excitement and expectation soon turned to despair though, as tales of unfulfilled orders, years of delay, and then poor build quality and even poorer backup from Norton itself, ruined the experience for many. The design of the Norton 961 was pretty much the same as the bike built by Kenny Dreer in the USA, and after millionaire…

BENELLI LEONCINO THE LITTLE LION is done and as you read this, has gone back to Benelli Australia. It has been an absolute awesome little bike to commute on day-to-day. It has stood up to everything I could throw at it and laughed at me, and it has attracted masses of attention with riders wanting to talk to me at the traffic lights and especially whenever I rode it to a café on the weekend! So I highly recommend you go and check one out. They’re very well priced too. Standby for the Leoncino’s replacement – something that likes to get dirty. SW SUZUKI GSX1100S KATANA The big Kat isn’t quite finished, even though I was hoping it would be. I seriously advise that when you get fresh paint, be…

HOW HARD CAN IT BE? Many people have criticized Australian driver licensing tests because they’re too easy. You don’t really need to be able to drive in anything but perfect conditions. But that isn’t the only problem. What I see all the time is the effect of a lack of an intelligence test. It does appear to me that anyone with the intelligence of the average rock can get a driver’s licence. How do I see this working out on the road? Let me count the ways. Surely it isn’t really hard to work out what those rectangles cut into the road at traffic light equipped intersections are for. Folks, they hide the actuating loops that tell the little mini-computer working the lights that you are there. If you stop…

SAVE THE DATES Is there anything better than getting out into the wide open spaces, then setting up camp and talking crap with like-minded fellows and lasses? Our thanks to The Possum for the list he’s given us (and which he will continue to update) of upcoming rallies that you should be attending. There’s always great prizes to be won and the next morning bacon and egg rolls are things to rave about! January 11-13: Capital Rally, Stewarts Crossing Campground, Oallen on the Shoalhaven River. February 1-3: Nulli Secundus, Nug Nug Reserve nr Myrtleford Vic. Triumph Owners Club. February 8-10: Karuah River Rally, nr Dungog NSW. BMWTCNSW. March 8-10: Cold Flame, South of Jindabyne on the Barry Way. Monarchs. March 22-24: Pigs’n’Pines, Spring Ridge Hotel. New England Bikers. April 12-14:…

AS YOU READ this there are only a handful of days left until Christmas. If you’ve left your Xmas shopping till the last minute, we’ve got you covered with these wonderful Xmas gifts for you or the motorcyclist in your life. Check them out, quick! ROCKY CREEK DESIGNS www.rockycreekdesigns.com.au MOTOPRESSOR MINI PUMP - $79.95 The MotoPressor Mini Pump enables you to pre-select a tyre pressure, pump your tyres and the pump will automatically switch OFF when it reaches the pre-selected pressure. On top of that you have the option to power the pump off a mini jump starter (sold separately), which gives you the mobility to move about with the pump. The kit includes the pump with a digital pressure gauge and all the power leads and connectors to enable…

1. One Way Machine,‘Silver Storm’, Germany 2. Lord Drake Kustoms,‘Speedster’, Spain 3. PMS Bike,‘HD3- Spritz’, Italy RETRO MODIFIED 1. VM Cycles,‘VM 003-16’, Italy 2. Abnormal Cycles,‘Anniversary’, Italy 3. American Dreams,‘Iceman Scout Boardtracker’, Italy STREET PERFORMANCE 1. Paul Milbourn Customs,‘Titanium V’, United Kingdom 2. Zen Motorcycles,‘Ducati 900 Turbo’, France 3. MatCustom,‘Alpha’, Russia CAFE RACER 1. FMW Motorcycles,‘Hurakan’, Italy 2. Zillers Garage,‘Jawa 500’, Russia 3. 3, PDF Motociclette,‘Quadrophenia’, Italy…

YOU’VE ALL HEARD ABOUT the Kawasaki H2 with its ballistic supercharged engine, or even seen one as it passed you at warp speed. Well, sit back as Kawasaki brings you the bike to explore outer space - in comfort! Here’s the H2 SX. We’ve ridden the H2 on the road and raced it on the track against a Ferrari and Lamborghini, so our expectations of the H2 SX were high. A more comfy seat, slightly higher handlebars and slightly more compliant suspension are all very welcomed revisions for long distance riding. Think of the H2 SX as a lighter ZX-14R and you’re almost there. The bike has been “street-tuned” from the H2 and most of the time you’d never know it was supercharged. The engine is essentially new. Impeller and…

I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME air crew refer to passengers as “screaming cargo”. That’s not me anymore. The unconscious do not scream. I pop a couple of tablets, choose the most boring film on the entertainment system and head off to dreamland. I’ve seen the first twenty minutes of ‘A Star is Born’ seven times. Anybody manage to stay awake and knows how it ends? On second thought, don’t worry. Flying from Sydney to either the US or Europe offers a major advantage: you tend to stumble off the plane at 6.00 in the morning, with the whole day in front of you. Feeling as if someone has been giving your brain a workout with a blender, admittedly, but still. On my recent trip to the Cologne motorcycle show INTERMOT I…

THE 37TH KOSCIUSKO Rally was conducted under brilliant blue, cloudless skies on the banks of the Swampy Plains Creek, not far from Khancoban. Sadly it was a far cry from the first Kosciusko which attracted over 800 entrants! This year only 40-odd showed up, but there were some young fellas so we live in hope. Those who came in via Thredbo, reported snow on the roadside, and plenty of wildlife. One sharp eyed punter reported seeing a dingo run across his path. There had been high winds in the days prior to the rally and plenty of leaf litter and fallen sticks added to the hazard of wayward 4 x 4s who claimed much more than their share of the road as they lumbered around the corners. Garry from the…

“DON'T TELL ME HOW EDUCATED YOU ARE, TELL ME ” HOW MUCH YOU TRAVELLED. THE PROPHET MOHAMMED, PEACE BE ON HIS NAME AN YOU TOUR ON an MV Agusta F3 RC? Sure. Should you contemplate touring on an MV Agusta F4 RR? Ah, well, that’s quite another thing… We get quite a few queries here about the best bike to buy, for a variety of uses. Now I know full well that no matter what I suggest in reply, you are going to go out and buy the red one with clip-ons. Nevertheless, I thought I’d try to put together some suggestions for one of the few areas where I have any qualifications – touring bikes. Please note that this story, except for the paragraph above and a few case…

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, the letters are among the most keenly read parts of the magazine. Please try and keep letters down to no more than 300 words.Then you can read many, not just a couple.We do reserve the right to cut them and, unless you identify yourself and at least your town or suburb and state, we will print your email address instead. Please address letters to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, Suite 4b, Level 1, 11-13 Orion Rd, Lane Cove West NSW 2066. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity. WATERY STUFF Attn Peter Thoeming Memories re Watroprop. In the early 70’s when I was a young lad at Milledge Bros. Yamaha in…

WE ARE A NATION of many things. Things like far horizons, droughts, flooding rains, Death Adders (now that’s a name for a snake, aye?), and of course jewelled seas. But most of all, and most importantly, we are a nation of signs. In fact, if I was to define Australia’s most identifying feature, it would be signs. I know we would like it to be mateship – but hey, we really didn’t invent friendship, so we can lay no claim to it being one of our uniquely Australian qualities. Larrikinism? Um, sure. Maybe once upon a time. Before the signs were erected. Now there is very little larrikinism. The signs forbid it. A fair go? Erm, no. There’s none of that going on here at all. Read the sign. “Stop…

SAY YOU HAVE A KNIFE that you’ve carried for a long time. Its shape is familiar, and it does its job satisfactorily. If you have any criticism it is that it doesn’t hold its edge particularly well, but you’ve gotten used to that. Then someone offers you a new knife. Its shape is a bit odd, but it holds its edge beautifully to the point where you can work with it much better than with the old knife. What do you do? The same question arises with the Yamaha Niken. Its twin front wheels and twin forks on each side give it a highly unusual look. But its roadholding is so much better than that of a bike with a single front wheel that it simply eliminates the terror of…

RUSSIAN CUSTOMIZER Zillers Garage scored a convincing first place in the 13th annual AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building at INTERMOT Customized in October in Cologne, Germany. With ‘Insomnia’, Zillers’ Yamaha SR 400 based masterpiece, rising star Dmitry Golubchikov takes the coveted title of Avon World Champion of Custom Bike Building for the next two years, and becomes the first winner of the AMD World Championship from Eastern Europe. Sponsored by leading custom tire manufacturer Avon Tyres, the Freestyle class at the AMD World Championship is internationally recognized as being the premier showcase for originality, innovation, craftsmanship and advanced custom motorcycle design and engineering. In a very broad international spread of top honours, second place and first reserve champion went to Omar Jumiran, all the way from Malaysia for…

PRICE: $29,290 (plus on-road charges) WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 12,000km or 12 months ENGINE: Liquid-cooled in-line four cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder BORE x STROKE: 76 x 55mm DISPLACEMENT: 998cc COMPRESSION: 11.2:1 POWER: 147.1kW @ 11,000rpm TORQUE: 137.3Nm @ 9500rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate assist slipper clutch, chain final drive SUSPENSION: Front, 43mm inverted fork, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, travel 120mm. Rear, monoshock, adjustable remote preload, compression and rebound, travel 139mm. DIMENSIONS: Seat height 835mm, weight 260kg (wet), fuel capacity 19 litres, wheelbase 1480mm TYRES: Front, 120/70/ZR17. Rear, 190/55/ZR17 FRAME:Tubular steel trellis BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 250mm disc, twin-piston ABS caliper. FUEL CONSUMPTION: 6.52 litres per 100km, premium unleaded THEORETICAL RANGE: 291km COLOURS: Emerald Blazed Green…

THE DUCATI OWNERS Club of NSW had a problem. The MotoGP clashed with their Thunder Rally, so they moved the rally into November and all trooped off to Phillip Island to watch #04 Andrea Dovizioso ride the red machine into 3rd place ahead of his team mate Bautista in 4th. Happily sporting his new Ducati #04 hat, Aunty Mal presided over the faithful as they readied the Sheba Dam site for the influx on the first weekend in November. Weather in the Nundle area was warm to hot, and quite a few riders made use of the bagged ice being sold out of the Lions caravan. Nundle Lions Club this year expanded their service to include the Friday evening meal, which was appreciated by the early arrivals. It is a…

THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON Panamerica has been getting a bit of attention on the interwebs, and it hasn’t been what I’d call overwhelmingly positive. Most people seem to agree that the bike has been struck severely with the Ugly Stick. It doesn’t help that the company released news of the bike with a photo from possibly the least flattering angle; our photo shows it almost side-on, and it doesn’t look quite as bad. But it’s still no beauty, the way most of the Motor Company’s products are. My Sportster Seventy Two, for example, is a highly attractive… whassat? Oh, okay, Sorry. The major problem with the Panamerica is one that I didn’t think Harley-Davidson would ever fall prey to. The bike doesn’t look like a Harley. For a company which has made…

AGV SPORTMODULAR – GLOSSY CARBON Price - $899 (Gold Iridium Visor - $149) LAST ISSUE WE HAD Colin Whelan’s review on the great new AGV Sportmodular helmet. The fine people at AGV Australia wanted me to have one as well so I picked the ‘Glossy Carbon’ version, which is also the cheapest ‘colour’ of the range. I have no idea why as I reckon it looks the best! I also chose to grab a tinted visor (as I hate those internal drop down visors), with the flashy gold iridium visor making me look even more, ‘glossy’. Before I do get onto my review one thing Colin wasn’t aware of (from his review) is the internal drop down visor is adjustable via a cable, unlike most other internal drop down visors…

KEVIN IS THIS month’s winner. He is requesting that we grab a pillion and get some words from them for each bike we review. This can be a bit difficult but on most bikes we feel would suit a pillion we try to do just this. Kevin, please send me your postal address so we can get the fabulous Nelson-Rigg T-shirt and backpack valued at $59.90 from Link International to you. Check out the entire range of Nelson-Rigg at www.nelsonrigg.com.au PILLION IN A MILLION I have just been reading the adventure bike article and as with most bike tests the bikes all had pillion footrests and seats so how about sticking a pillion on the bikes and get them to type a few words about their experience, and especially the…