Indholdsfortegnelse for Sep 2017 055 i Australian Motorcyclist

I’VE JUST COME BACK from Airlie Beach which, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know was obliterated by Cyclone Debbie recently. I was up there for the BMW G 310 R launch and it’s great to see a manufacturer who recognises that an area needs some cash injected into the local economy. Well done BMW for travelling all that way to hold a new model launch. The name Michael Dunlop will mean something to most of you, although I guess some will have never heard of him. He is the nephew of TT legend Joey Dunlop and the son of TT winner and Irish road racing legend Robert Dunlop. I have just read Michael’s new book – Road Racer – It’s in my blood. It is sort of…

TAKE A CONCEPT that has sold many tens (if not hundreds) of thousands worldwide, put an Italian badge on it, give it a catchy name and hola, you’ve got the new Ducati Supersport and Supersport S! The concept? The ever popular Honda VFR800. The light sports tourer with a punchy engine is back and you’ll realise that the hype surrounding the release of Ducati’s new Supersports is completely justified once you ride one. Pick either the ‘base’ Supersport or the higher spec S version. There are several differences between the models; the extras fitted to the S model include Ohlins suspension, up and down quickshifter, passenger seat cowl, USB socket and the Ducati Multimedia System. Ducati has aimed the Supersports a bit more on the sporty side of the sports…

HOW DO YOU review a Ural sidecar? Is it the same as reviewing an old 35mm film camera where ninety-five percent of the audience says “what’s a film?” And how do you convince someone that 120km/h is as fast as you dare go and it feels entirely sufficient, if not a touch scary, chasing Stuart on his Fireblade downhill on the M1 freeway travelling north? And the looks and comments which never abate! Why is it that my brother’s Ducati 1198 Panigale Tricolore garners less admiration than the Russian-built Sahara? And why is it ‘Sahara’ and not ‘Gobi’? Why does cruising at a scenery-engaging eighty clicks feel almost as rewarding as belting along at 180 on a BMW GS in the NT? What about the fact that if it is…

HERE’S THE WINNER! WHERE’S THE BEAR #5 was definitely too easy. Obviously, a lot of you have travelled out into the outback to take a look at the Qantas Founders’ Museum or the Stockman’s Hall of Fame. The name that popped out of the hat was Niels Holm, who writes:“Featured on page 89 in the Australian Motorcyclist, July 2017 Magazine - The Bear travelled to Longreach in Queensland. He is at The Qantas Founders Outback Museum. The Qantas Founders Museum is located in Longreach, 177 km. from Winton, the original home of Qantas.The museum was opened on 9 June 1996. “The other major tourist attraction in Longreach is The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback.” Congratulations, Niels; the Digital Lock & Cable…

SURE IT’S GREAT to read about all the latest and greatest motorcycles that get released, but in the sad, real world a lot of us simply don’t have the cash to pony up 30k for a new tourer. So I thought I’d come up with a list of great tourers of the recent past which now sell for not-so-much moolah. I have no doubt there are many more available but the ones on the following list are all tried and true motorcycles which have proven to be reliable machines. I scoured the Bikesales and Gumtree websites for the prices people are currently asking for these bikes, and for each model I’ve included the average price range I found. The following bikes are in no particular order of preference and this…

FOR MANY YEARS, if you asked a motorcycle enthusiast or commuter to name a Chinese motorcycle brand they would not be able to, except perhaps to name the rebrand (something like Llexmoto or Zingbikes). Just possibly they might know that Lifan, for example, is a major manufacturer but that would be rare. This is due to the Chinese motorcycle industry’s propensity for re-branding (re-badging) and little has changed to this day. In more modern times an exception has arisen, and that is CFMoto. CFMoto has been a revelation in the Chinese motorcycle industry in many ways as they have adopted a more ‘western’ attitude to business philosophy and marketing. They are one of the few Chinese motorcycle manufacturers that sell internationally using their own brand and trying to promote brand…

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 thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity! GET A LIFE Hi Bear, I read with interest, Stuart’s “Words of Wisdom” in the last issue (#54). I really think some people need to get a life…

DOWN TO ZERO ZERO MOTORCYCLES GONE Zero Motorcycles is ending consumer sales in Australia and other Asia Pacific markets with immediate effect; however, Zero’s police and authority fleet business (in the US) will continue. Zero and its distributor partners in the region have invested significant resources into developing these markets over the past several years, but have been unable to build an economically sustainable retail business. “This decision came after much deliberation, and was the best choice for the business at this time,” said Todd Andersen, VP of Sales, Marketing, and Aftersales. “However, all of our owners are extremely important to us, and we will continue to provide support to Australian owners through GBT Imports, our exclusive distributor, to ensure a matchless ownership experience is maintained.” Zero will continually monitor…

THE GOSFORD CLASSIC Car Museum has just turned over its 100,000th visitor in the twelve months it’s been open (not bad!). Ralph and I were invited up to Gosford to have a look at the place, which is not far off the freeway. It is the old Bunnings hardware building at Stockyard Place in West Gosford. It can be a little tricky to find, but as you come down the hill from the F3 turn left at the first set of lights on Manns Road and the museum is only a couple of seconds away. It claims to have the largest collection of cars in the Southern Hemisphere and is one of the 5 largest in the world with over 450 cars and bikes. When you walk inside you certainly…

“IT IS A TRADITION THAT TROOPERS BUY THE GENERAL A BEER” THE BEAR ARMY’S Southern Manoeuvres in Gulgong were a total disaster. Fights broke out in the bar, motorcycles were vandalised in the night and the weather was appalling. The entire town joined in barring the Army from ever coming within a cockie’s mile of the place again. The drag races in the main street resulted in several tyres blowing out, and serious damage to an historic building. Three members, including The Bear, spent part of the night in the lockup. Okay. Happy? That paragraph was inserted to make the half dozen troopers who were prevented from attending, feel better about missing a briliant event. None of the things above are true, of course, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality…

SHOULD YOU BE thinking of visiting Tasmania – and among motorcyclists, who isn’t? – you could end up being confused by the variety of accommodation on offer. Let’s just take a look at some of the range. We have recently used all four of these alternatives, so we know what we’re on about (sez you – the sub). Let’s leave out the top end, like the exclusive wilderness retreats, and the bottom end, like sleeping under bridges, and check the happy middle that we actually use. Well, these days, anyway. I used to sleep under bridges but then someone gave me a credit card! AFLOAT The pair of Spirits of Tasmania have undergone a renovation and are much more like European ferries now. There is no silver service restaurant; instead…

LAST YEAR, THE SA Sidecar Gathering was in August, a couple of weeks after the Border Run. This year, Beetle decided to move it up the calendar and to a different location, which had us scouring Google Maps for Whyte Yacowie. We found it between Burra and Peterburough in the wilds of SA. I had a great run under cloudless skys heading south to meet up with one of my mates, and the run west was also most pleasant. The plains around Moulemein where green for a change, and the Bakery at Balranald was in top form. Most of the Three Duck Tours group was at Three Duck HQ in Mildura on the Friday night, and made the most of a great breakfast at the Cafe Paris in the Deacon…

UPSKILLING IS essentially what life is all about. I’m sure you’ve said to yourself, “If only I knew then what I know now”. The upskilling principle applies to motorcycle riding, too. Believe it or not we’ve all got the skill (in there somewhere) to be high-level riders. Sure, it can take some riders longer than others to master the skills, but we’ve all got it. You just need the training. I’ve done two courses in my riding life – both when I was working for NRMA for articles on rider training. I used Stay Upright for both – their Advanced Course first, then their Cornering and Braking Course. I still use techniques from both of those courses in my riding today – especially on the road, of which the Advanced…

THERE COMES A TIME in a parent’s life when they pluck up the courage and mention to their 29-year-old child’s home-stay may be over. Mum and Dad might need a little breather and hopefully free up enough spare funds to buy that aspirational Winnebago and Wide Glide in the process. Of course, there will be many angst-filled tantrums surrounding this separation, as the ‘kid’ pulls the last emotional rope left in the locker. And emotional rope like: “Guys, I’m going to need a set of wheels and the Street Rod isn’t that expensive, especially for a fair-dinkum Harley-Davidson”. Ma and Pa, I am thinking, would believe a $12,995 invoice is a small price to pay for freedom (both theirs and the off-spring’s) but kids are smarter than their parents. And…

BACK TO ZERO DID YOU WANT to buy one of these rather smart-looking (in recent incarnations) electric motorcycles? Better hurry; there will only be a few left in the shops by the time you read this. Can that be right? Surely they weren’t selling? Zero has even announced that the company is ceasing ‘private’ (non-government or other fleet) sales in Australia. Well, as it turns out they did sell… perhaps not well, but a friend in the retail business tells me that he’s sold all the bikes he had, bar a demo. The big problem was the price; some $25,000 for what is after all little more than a commuter is steep. Retailers are actually not especially fond of Zeros, or other electric bikes to come. There will be no…

THE TRIUMPH STREET Triple has always been the fun machine of the naked Triumph range. It is light, manageable, and the 675-triple engine would sing sweet tunes all the way from idle up to the rev limiter. But there’s a new King of the Street with a rearrangement of numbers in its title that would confuse even those that are half- normal. Welcome the Street Triple 765. Not only has engine-size been increased, but the entire bike has had a thorough going-over. The Street Triple range consists of four bikes – the 660 Street Triple S LAMS model, Street Triple 765 S, Street Triple 765 R and the top of the range Street Triple 765 RS. You can also get a low-seat R version, which I guess could be classed…

ONE AFTERNOON when I was looking for fuel, I came to Cairo, Illinois. The view that met me down the main street could have been a scene from a dystopian movie like The Road. I was riding through a townscape that was simply devastated. Houses and shops looked abandoned, with the wind plucking at advertising signs long bleached by the sun and washed out by the rain. Every second building had been demolished. A few people stood around in small groups or sat on the kerb. Cairo’s ‘Historic District’ had been knocked down except for a boarded-up movie house – and an iron archway across the road, with rusted letters announcing the no longer present district. On my ride through town on the broken roadway I counted seven buildings that…

WE’RE GOING ABOUT our guide map differently this (and next) month. Instead of showing you the good roads in the South Island, we’re showing you the good roads you might miss. The reason is simple, of course. If I were to show you all the good roads, even the ones you’ve probably read about, I could just colour in all the roads in the island… yes, it’s that good. But shown on this map are a few goodies you might otherwise miss. That still includes quite a few roads, so I’ve divided the island into two; here’s the first half, roughly north of Christchurch. Towns are listed alphabetically, not in order of size or importance. BLACKBALL A small coalmining town off the main State Highway 7, Blackball is unremarkable except…

I REMEMBER ATTENDING the world launch of the KTM 390 Duke a handful of years ago. Held out of Salzburg in the pouring rain, a fresh dump of snow made things a little interesting. The little Duke performed flawlessly and was fun to ride. Flick the calendar over to the present and KTM has updated the 390 Duke to one mighty machine. New styling, new suspension, new electronics, more power and more fun really lets this bike take it to the all-conquering Kawasaki Ninja 300 and Yamaha R3 which have dominated the smaller capacity LAMS class. Styling is very much like big brother, the 1290 Superduke R which you read about in the most recent issue. The LED headlight uses essentially the same principle as big bro with the middle…

SO ANYWAY, I’m in a saloon in New York, not far from the East River, but my thoughts have just zoomed back home to the Riverina and Deniliquin on the Edward. Maybe 10 years ago I was down at Denny speaking with a great gentleman who’s sadly since passed away. Bill Mulham was the lifeblood of the local historical society and we spoke for a couple of hours about the history of the area. At the end he asked if I knew about the shear tree to the north of the town. Seems that in 1914 a young shearer signed up for the War To End All Wars and stuck his shears into a tree at Pretty Pine, saying he’d get ’em when he got back. He never returned and…

“THE DAY YOU STOP RACING IS THE DAY YOU WIN THE RACE.” BOB MARLEY THE FIRST TIME I saw a Triumph Bobber, I was torn two ways. On the one hand, I have disliked just about every bobber I’ve ever seen. Mainly due to the fat front wheel, bobbers have always seemed out of proportion to me. The one exception I can think of is the Harley-Davidson 48, but (significantly) it was only when I rode it that I decided I liked it after all. On the other hand, though, I found myself attracted to the Triumph’s well-integrated look and reasonably-sized front wheel. The obvious solution was to wait until I could ride one, and to make up my mind then. Why the fuss about the styling? Well, a…

FLIES HAVE TWO large ‘compound’ eyes which are made up by each large eye employing a series of many, many small, hexagonal ‘ommatidia’ - or facets - which combine to make the so-called compound eye. It is said these very complex eyes allow for fairly good eyesight up close, but with some blurriness for objects further away. Flies also employ three much smaller, far simpler eyes mounted in triangular fashion right on top of their heads which are far less complicated than the compound eyes and can only detect light and shade, but which should serve the insect –one would think – very well indeed. But if an errant fly is not paying close attention to the many things which surround it, those five eyes are not worth a cracker…