Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i Australian Motorcyclist

THE WEATHER lately, albeit bad if you need water, has been awesome for motorcycle riding. Clear, crisp blue sky days and mid-twenties temperatures are what I class as the best riding conditions you could ever ask for. You don’t freeze your butt off, or sweat like a hippo chasing a cheetah. You can get to your turnaround point and bask in the filtered afternoon sun and not have a care in the world – what a life motorcycling brings to the table. If you haven’t been out for a ride, do it now! I’ve been riding a few different types of bikes during this time and no matter whether it was a big bore machine or a tiny 125 I’ve really had fun. I just wish my 1100 Katana was…

PRICE: $22,700 (plus on-road charges) WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 16,000km or 12 months ENGINE: Liquid-cooled in-line three cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder BORE x STROKE: 79 x 71.4mm DISPLACEMENT: 1050cc COMPRESSION: 12.9:1 POWER: 110kW @ 10,500rpm TORQUE: 117Nm @ 7150rpm 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 preload, compression and rebound, travel 130mm. DIMENSIONS: Seat height 825mm, weight 189kg (dry), fuel capacity 15.5 litres, wheelbase 1445mm TYRES: Front, 120/70/ZR17. Rear, 190/55/ZR17 FRAME:Twin spar aluminium BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 255mm disc, twin-piston ABS caliper. FUEL CONSUMPTION: N/A THEORETICAL RANGE: N/A COLOURS: Crystal White, Matt Jet Black VERDICT: HOON IT UP, MAN!…

PRICE: $19,990 (plus on-road charges) WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 12,000km or 12 months ENGINE:Air-cooled L-twin cylinder, Desmodromic, 2 valves per cylinder BORE x STROKE: 98 x 71mm DISPLACEMENT: 1079cc COMPRESSION: 11.1:1 POWER: 63kW @ 7500rpm TORQUE: 88Nm @ 4750rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, chain final drive SUSPENSION: Front, 45mm inverted fork, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, travel 150mm. Rear, mono-shock, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 150mm. DIMENSIONS: Seat height 810mm, weight 211kg (wet), fuel capacity 15 litres, wheelbase 1514mm TYRES: Front, 120/80/ZR18. Rear, 180/55/ZR17 FRAME: Steel trellis BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 245mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper. FUEL CONSUMPTION: 6.24 litres per 100km, premium unleaded THEORETICAL RANGE: 240km COLOURS: Grey VERDICT:THE BIG DELIGHT…

“THE MARINE CORPS TAUGHT ME COMMITMENT, COURAGE, FOCUS, AND A VALUE SYSTEM THAT CAN EASILY SUFFICE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO AREN’T RELIGIOUS.” BOB LUTZ THE RIDER OF THE S 1000 RR waiting at the traffic lights diagonally opposite me gave the bike I was riding a cursory glance and then concentrated on his various electronic readouts, LED lights and other bling until the lights changed and he could screech away. I pity the fool. The bike I was riding, my recently-acquired Silver Smoke R 90 S, might not have been the first ‘superbike’ but it was one of them, and is the ancestor, in a direct line, of that S 1000 RR. Without it, there might well have been no BMW motorcycles today. BMW introduced the air-cooled twin in…

BLOW ME DOWN WOLO ‘BAD BOY’ HORN - $62 AUSTRALIAN Motorcycle Components (AMC), from whom we sourced this little screamer, reckons that this is the smallest, loudest compressor horn available. I must admit I haven’t tried them all, but I would not be surprised if that was correct. To start with, the horn is small enough to replace the BMW’s original squeaker (you couldn’t really call it a horn) behind the front forks. It is significantly larger, but it does fit in there. It’s also really easy to fit. It is a one-piece design and requires no hoses, either. Just transfer the factory horn wires to the compressor. The Bad Boy mounts with one bolt included in the kit. AMC claims that the dual tone air horn sound is two…

Once you’re awake, have a belly full of food and a head full of caffeine head south on Wright Street turning right onto the Bass Highway. As soon as you cross the bridge turn left onto Devonport Road and head into Spreyton. Turn right onto Sheffield Road and follow it south through Barrington and into Sheffield. Almost at the southern end of Sheffield there is an old church, turn right here onto Claude Road. Follow it all the way to the end and turn left onto Cradle Mountain Road. About 20 kilometres down the road turn left to stay on Cradle Mountain Road. You can also follow the signs to Cradle Mountain. Head in about 10 kilometres and you’ve arrived! Make sure you confirm if you need a bike pass…

LIFT OFF! Get Routed owner Dave Milligan advises for his New Zealand shipments this coming summer that the Brisbane container is full (and there are 4 bikes on a wait list for a second Brisbane container; 10 bikes are needed to kick off a second container); there are 5 available spaces in the Sydney container and 4 in the Melbourne container – you’d better hurry! The current main attraction for Aussies taking bikes to NZ is very definitely the Burt Munro Challenge which runs from 8 to 11 February 2019. Get in touch with Dave now – Ph: 0412 689 849, Skype: Dave.Milligan6 or email dave@getrouted.com.au JUMP TO IT A jump starter pack will give you power anywhere, anytime. It is one of the most important pieces of emergency kit…

YOU KNOW THOSE THINGS you walk around on – your feet, they are rather important and riding a motorcycle means you need to look after them even more. The worst thing that can happen is you grind your toes away, break your bones and smash your ankle into a million pieces. If you want to walk and function properly, then wearing proper motorcycle boots to provide protection is the only way to go. Trust me, I’ve seen what happens to someone’s feet/foot when they’ve ground them/it away while not wearing the right boots, it’s not pretty. We put the call out to the distributors of motorcycle boots and those who want you to be protected have supplied the following from their latest product lines… DRIRIDER www.dririder.com.au URBAN BOOT - $149.95…

“I’M OFF TO THE LACHLAN SIDE, WHERE THE BRIGHT LAGOONS ARE WIDE; I LONG FOR RIVER AND GRASS AND TREE, [THOUGH THERE’S BUGGER-ALL GRASS FOR ME TO SEE…]” HENRY LAWSON (UPDATED BYTHE BEAR) UNLESS YOU RIDE ONE, it is fashionable to dismiss the big travelling galleons of the motorcycle world as, well, big galleons – fat in the beam and slow to turn, slow in fact to do everything except for slurping up the precious bodily fluids of our Mother Earth at the fuel pump. Ponderous and pathetic on the road, fit only for use by Ulyssians on their way to the next cream tea. This has not been true since 1984 when Honda released a GoldWing that not only went (even the 1000cc original had clocked high-12s for the…

IT’S SLOWLY STARTING to warm up and for many of you that means a trip to Tassie. The roads and scenery are simply stunning so for a great start to your travels around the Apple Isle I reckon heading to Cradle Mountain straight off the boat is a good way to get into it. DEVONPORT There is a nice little café just to your left as you get out of the Spirit of Tasmania driveway, or The Rectory Café is a few metres on through the roundabout. Both had good food and coffee the last time I was there. Besides being the port for the Spirit of Tasmania, there’s more to Devonport than you think. It has some nice beaches (if it’s warm enough!), rowing, sailing, kayaking and fishing. Walking…

ST GEORGE MOTORCYCLE Club recently held the Sydney 5 Hour. Promoted as an endurance race, it was in fact a relay race of sorts as teams could use multiple bikes during the five hours, changing an arm band to the next rider at their ‘pitstop’; or teams could use one bike as is the case of the bike/team I rode for. As I mentioned in the previous issue I was yet to race the 5 Hour and as much as I’d hoped it would be a good day, it wasn’t. As our team was using the one bike it would be a big ask to flog it all day without a rest and at the three hour mark (one hour from the shortened end) it decided to do just that…

THE WAY TO RIDE Dririder iRide 3 Waterproof boots - $169.95 THE LATEST VERSION of Dririder’s extremely popular casual styled riding boots is the iRide 3. I’ve loved and worn the previous iRide 2 version for the last couple of years; they are my go-to boots for almost every bit of bitumen riding I do. Whether that is riding the latest hot-bloodied sportsbike or a 125 commuter, the iRide 2 boots have been just right. Roll on to the new iRide 3 and they are even a big upgrade from the 2. Softer, full-grain leather upper, 3-layer waterproof system with a breathable Hipora liner, moulded nylon ankle guard, polyester lining with open cell foam for amazing comfort, techno GI thermoplastic toe cap and heel, anti-twist moulded nylon mid-sole, a new…

GET READY TO welcome a new motorcycle company. Harley-Davidson is set to spread the eagle’s wings and claim more territory than ever as the Motor Company becomes a full-blown Motorcycle Company. What, you may well ask, is he on about? Hasn’t Harley-Davidson always been a motorcycle company, since its foundation a hundred and fifteen years ago? Weren’t they making more than 17,000 motorcycles a year only 15 years later? Yes of course. But in the latter part of the 20th Century, Milwaukee began to limit its range to make more and more motorcycles of fewer and fewer types. Finally, they coalesced into what was really only one bike, although it was presented in many guises. Yes, there were and are Sportsters, cruisers and baggers but the essence was identical. A…

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. Who doesn’t love a bit of singing? Well, it seems Phil was rather taken by Boris and his ‘singing’. Trust me, Phil, I’ve…

REMEMBER THE ‘Original Hooligan’? The first Triumph Speed Triple released back in 1994 is the hooligan I’m talking about. It was an instant favourite with stunters and basically, mad poms that would ride… just like a hooligan! Rolling through twenty-four years since that first Speed Triple release the things worth noting were the move to twin round headlights in 1997, which lasted until 2011 and really caused a stir among the Speedy purists when Triumph changed to the new styled headlights. I can remember people saying, “Oh, they won’t sell another Speed Triple unless it’s got round headlights”… and the huffing and puffing went on. But, you know what the Speed Triple has only got better with each year that’s passed and the new 2018 model is one that I…

THE SCRAMBLER phenomenon has seen a new member spawned – the Ducati Scrambler 1100. I was a little sceptical of the 1100 when I first heard and saw pictures of it late last year. I didn’t think there was a place for it in the market as the 800 version is more than enough motorcycle to fit the bill as a daily rider and weekend blast machine. I also thought it looked too big - that was until I rode the 1100. Ducati has followed their original line of Scramblers from the ‘60s by offering three engine sizes – 400, 800 and now 1100. Of course, back in the 60s it was much smaller with a 250, 350 and 450; try getting one of those in great condition nowadays and…

THE PACIFIC HOTEL, YAMBA FIRST UP, if anyone can tell me just why a pub perched on the eastern seaboard is called the “Pacific” or indeed why the highway along the coast has the same name, please let me know. Just don’t say it somehow relates to an ocean of the same name. The Pacific Ocean doesn’t touch Australia, doesn’t come close. When you dive into the water at Bondi or Broadbeach, you’re jumping into the Tasman Sea; the Pacific’s way, way over the horizon! Maybe there was some Sir Lachlan Pacific in our past whom I don’t know about or perhaps it’s an adaptation of an indigenous name for the place that I’ve not heard. Whatever, if you’re across it, please send all correspondence to Stu who’s got nothing…

IT’S A QUIET, unassuming place. The only reason you’re going to notice Lockhart is that, no matter where you come from or where you’re going you will need to make at least one right-angle turn before you get out of town again. Whether it’s Albury, Urana, Kywong, The Rock or Collingulli there’s a 90 degree corner somewhere on the way. It’s a good thing if it makes you look up and notice the name, because Lockhart is a nice little place and has the advantage of being (roughly) halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. The former is about 520km away while the latter is closer at about 400km. “GOT TO BE GOOD LOOKING ‘CAUSE IT’S SO HARD TO SEE…”(WITH APOLOGIES TO LENNON/MCCARTNEY) If you’re thinking of getting together with friends from…

IT’S PROBABLY A DEEPLY felt and secret fear we all have on a long ride, especially if we’re only partly conscious of being able to cope if we end up with a flat tyre I did a ten-week 10,000 km tour a few years back without a hitch of any sort. But I’ve been closer to home on shorter rides when I once had to call Roadside Assist because of a flat tyre. On another occasion, fortuitously, I was in a country town where the local servo came to the rescue. With an enhanced sense of responsibility, I now always carry a repair kit, although I have often wondered if I could use it effectively. I got to find out not so long ago. LESSONS LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCE A few…

KAWASAKI Z900RS Time to travel HAVE I MANAGED to get the key to the stunning Z900RS back from my old man yet? Sadly, no is the answer. He has been busy enjoying it for all of us and then some. Ventura (www.kenma.com.au)has kindly donated their new rack and EVO bag system ($489) which I am told has been massively popular. So if you’ve got a Z900RS or Z900RS Café, place an order now so the wait time isn’t too long. I waited about a month and it is certainly worth it. Fitment is dead easy, taking about twenty minutes and the new system of sliding the bag onto the rack (without the big loop) and the simple snap closure (as has been featured within these pages before) makes life really…

A “NEW” ROAD TO RIDE ANOTHER GREAT motorcycling road in the central/southern tablelands has recently been opened to the bitumen-only motorcyclists. This is the road between Bathurst and Crookwell. I’ve been watching the gravel section diminish from about 40km a few years back to 3 km late last year to an uninterrupted tarmac runway earlier this year (2018). There’s still a lot of new line-marking to complete; but that’s no issue. It never made the Bear’s top rides probably because of its frequently changing and unpredictable gravel surface as it dipped some 400m down the southern side of the Abercrombie Valley. It’s marvellous what a coat of bitumen can achieve: a transformation from a slow and careful descent or climb on twisting washed-out gravel to a fast and furious (loosely…